George Alexander (American musician)

George Alexander (July 9, 1867 – March 2, 1913) was a baritone and pioneer recording artist who made several best-selling records for Columbia Records in the first decade of the 20th century.

Alexander, George
Birth nameClifford Alexander Wiley
BornJuly 9, 1867
Baltimore, Maryland
DiedMarch 2, 1913
New York
Genrespopular
Occupation(s)singer
Years active1903 – 1913
LabelsColumbia, Zonophone, Victor

Biography

George Alexander was born in Baltimore on July 9, 1867,[1] his birth name was Clifford Alexander Wiley.[2] His initial recording activity was for Zonophone Records in 1902, and he subsequently recorded for Columbia Talking Machine Co. in 1903, where he produced the majority of his output.[1] He also recorded a few sides for Victor Records in 1903.[1] The same year, he made cylinder records for Edison under the pseudonym Arthur Clifford.[3] He died on March 2, 1913, in New York[1] at the age of 45.[2]

He died of heart disease and Bright's disease in New York City on 2 March 1913 and is buried in New Jersey Cemetery in North Bergen New Jersey.[4]

Style and popularity as recording artist

He has been noted for his "robust sonority and precise diction."[5] Joel Whitburn, in his chart reconstructions, estimates that Alexander had three records that would have made the Billboard charts had they existed: Mighty Lak' a Rose (Columbia disc 1585, cylinder 32295) at #3 in December 1903; America (Columbia disc 3099, cylinder 32637) at #7 in May 1905, and Dearie (Columbia disc 3378, cylinder 32928) at #10 in July 1906.[2]

References
  1. Hoffman, Frank (2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound. Routledge. ISBN 9781135949495.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p. 21. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  3. Hoffman, Frank; Cooper, B. Lee; Gracyk, Tim (2012). Popular American Recording Pioneers: 1895-1925. Routledge. p. 137. ISBN 9781136592294.
  4. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14000 Famous Persons by Scott Wilson
  5. "George Alexander". National Jukebox. Library of Congress. Retrieved September 8, 2014.
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