The World of Pioneer Recording Artists

Curator's Note

I am one of very few people in the world to hold the distinction of regularly consuming, and enjoying, the music of artists who have long since passed on from this mortal plain, whose music ceases to leave this earth and allows their voices, music and names to continue living amongst us. On the 21st of October 1889, Prussian Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (the only person to have been born in the 18th century whose voice we can still hear), said that "the Phonograph makes it possible for a man who has already rested long in the grave once again to raise his voice and greet the present." Never since has such a beautiful sentiment been so accurately spoken, and this technology is something we take for granted now, but I appreciate the beauty in this fact which so many nowadays are not even aware of. This love for antique cylinders, and the voices of those who have gone before us, has brought me to write biographies for many of the artists I love, with as much of the information as is still available to us.

This page will be particularly personal, discussing what I know about them, what draws me to them, and many other things, whereas the individual biographies (accessed by clicking on the attached photographs of each artist) will be purely informational.

John W. Myers (c. 1864-c. 1919)

One of the artists whom I have found great pleasure in listening to is J. W. Myers, who has captivated me since I first began listening to his music in 2024. His baritone voice, paired with his strict style are things I relate very deeply to, whilst his songs are ultimately some of the most beautiful and flawless of all. It is this strength that has caused me to develop a unique interest and love for his music, and has made him the foremost of my favourites. I believe it is safe to suggest that I am his #1 fan, worldwide, and I am proud to call myself that.

One of the things which has captivated me is the sheer amount we do not know about him. His life is shrouded in mystery, and we do not truly know when he was born, nor do we know when or how he died. I have tried my best to reflect this in my article. He was, however, one of the most popular singers of his day, and was extremely popular at the turn of the century, with his popularity reaching its peak around 1903.

Eddie Morton (May 15, 1870 - April 11, 1938)

Eddie Morton was the first singer of the Acoustical Era whom I listened to, and it was his songs in the late 1900s and early 1910s which captivated me. He was an exceptionally popular artist in his time, and even today maintains a humble yet significant following for his music. He performed both comic songs, and even had some very enjoyable ragtime numbers. He was known as "The Singing Cop".

I find that, with him being the first artist I listened to who performed in this time, he holds a unique place in my mind, as he was the first of a long list of artists whose music I wish to preserve for all time.

Will F. Denny (c. 1860- October 2, 1908)

Will F. Denny represents one of my first forays into the Acoustical Era, and one of the artists whose music I first fell in love with. Whilst I have not listen to nearly as much of his music as I have with artists like Myers, he remains one of my go-to names whenever people ask me who I recommend. As a comic singer, he became one of the earliest pioneers of comedy songs, often telling stories through his songs about characters who get up to no good, or who constantly have bad things happen to them, or people they know.

He also remains one of the earliest artists to pass away on this list, having died in October 1908, several years before most others would.

Henry Burr (January 15, 1882 - April 6, 1941)

Henry Burr holds a unique position in this list as he was not only a singer during the Acoustical Era, but he also had a career spanning right up until his death, singing songs even as late as Septemebr 21st, 1940 for WLS Chicago. Whilst he was a late addition, with him appearing shortly after 1910, he has earned a position on this list, not only for the beautiful selection of songs he performed, but also for the successes in his career, despite the fact he has seemingly been forgotten by most history books.

No references are included on this page, they can be found on each biography.

Header image: A Columbia Recording session, The Phonoscope (1898). Image sourced via Public Domain.

Every effort has been made to trace the original creators of archival media; where unknown, items are credited by era and source.

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