Alexander, George | |
---|---|
Birth name | Clifford Alexander Wiley |
Born | July 9, 1867 Baltimore, Maryland |
Died | March 2, 1913 New York |
Genres | popular |
Occupation(s) | singer |
Years active | 1903 – 1913 |
Labels | Columbia, Zonophone, Victor |
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.
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]
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]