159:
727:
682:
239:
31:
426:
715:
703:
531:
Frank
Hoffmann, B Lee Cooper, Tim Gracyk -Popular American Recording Pioneers: 1895-1925 - Page 188 1136592296 2012 -"She is called "Miss Ada Jones," though in Manhattan on August 9, 1904, she had married Hughie Flaherty...On various records the two imitated Bowery toughs (on the popular "Peaches and
226:
in 1905. He is best remembered today for his vaudeville-style comic sketches, such as "The
Arkansaw Traveler" (1902), combining clever turns of phrase, ironic elocutionary delivery, sound effects and music to create colorful dialogues featuring itinerant Southerners, auctioneers, circus barkers, and
202:
Between 1892 and 1897 he recorded extensively for the New Jersey
Phonograph Company and its successor the United States Phonograph Company. He specialized in vaudeville sketches and comic songs, but also sang sentimental ballads popular at the time. He returned to Columbia in 1898 for an exclusive
186:
to Henry Caleb
Spencer Sr. and Sarah Jane Andrews. He had two younger siblings, Platt Rasson Spencer, who died in infancy, and Henry "Harry" Caleb Spencer Jr., who was also an early recording artist. Before entering the phonograph industry, he worked as an
136:
277:
Spencer was married twice. He married
Margaret Allen on April 8, 1885 and remained married until her death in 1891. They had two daughters, one who was stillborn. He married Elizabeth Norris on July 20, 1892, with whom he had three more daughters.
135:
133:
134:
281:
As the popularity of Len's style of humor waned in the latter part of the decade, he opened a booking agency called "Len
Spencer's Lyceum" in New York. He died of a
558:"SINGS AT HIS OWN FUNERAL.; Records Made by Len Spencer Played Beside His Bier. $ 100,000 BISCHOFF VERDICT. Court Asked to Set Aside Big Award for Justice's Death"
254:. Spencer's output was eclectic. He imitated animal sounds in "A Barnyard Serenade" (1906) and released another record titled "The Transformation Scene from '
643:
639:
557:
667:
657:
649:
480:
294:
89:
762:
174:
star who was considered one of the most popular recording artists in the United States from the 1890s to the 1910s.
757:
290:
767:
442:
498:
208:
354:
271:
192:
124:
693:
337:
263:
417:
274:" routine was the first record to sell one million copies, though official documentation is lacking.
458:
255:
227:
Irish, Jewish or Black
Americans. He also performed in the “Spencer Trio” from 1902 to 1904 with
390:
653:
629:
267:
320:
232:
170:(February 12, 1867 – December 15, 1914) was an American singer, composer, booking agent and
752:
747:
731:
412:
8:
606:
327:
313:
289:
while working at the Lyceum on
December 15, 1914, at age 47. His funeral was held at the
282:
259:
204:
142:
This 1906 record by
Spencer enticed store customers with the wonders of the phonograph.
542:
Walsh, Jim (October 1958). "Len
Spencer, as his Daughter Ethel Lovingly Recalls Him".
425:
158:
677:
565:
707:
686:
251:
212:
196:
298:
183:
673:
344:
58:
741:
569:
77:
663:
719:
642:
of Spencer in Jim Walsh's "Favorite Pioneer Recording Artists", and a 1958
286:
228:
238:
219:
360:"Peaches and Cream", (1906) with Ada Jones (John B. Lowitz wax cylinder)
171:
370:
247:
223:
30:
617:
188:
447:. United States Phonograph Company. c. 1894. pp. 33–41.
421:. Vol. 4, no. 4. January 1930. pp. 114–115.
258:'," but also popularized songs still known today such as "
182:
Leonard Garfield Spencer was born on February 12, 1867 in
444:
Catalog of Standard New Jersey Records for the Phonograph
215:
as discs became the dominant format in the early 1900s.
691:
110:
Elizabeth (Norris) Spencer (married 1892, died 1941)
108:Margaret (Allen) Spencer (married 1885, died 1891)
242:Advertisement for Len Spencer's Lyceum, ca. 1912.
100:Recording artist, composer, author, booking agent
739:
413:"Reminiscences of the Columbia Cylinder Records"
459:"Gallery of Talent Employed for Making Records"
532:Cream," Spencer was a "newsy" named Jimmie..."
481:"Len Spencer (vocalist : baritone vocal)"
668:Discography of American Historical Recordings
503:Discography of American Historical Recordings
485:Discography of American Historical Recordings
308:Some of his most popular recordings include:
293:and his remains were cremated and buried in
270:deems it "probable" that Spencer's comedic "
246:Many of his roles were performed in either
207:(disc) records in 1899 and continued with
195:in Washington. He began recording for the
29:
118:5, one died at birth, another in infancy
237:
658:University of California, Santa Barbara
740:
541:
16:American recording artist (1867–1914)
527:
525:
437:
435:
517:Let's Do It: The Birth of Pop Music
13:
218:He began performing with banjoist
203:contract then began recording for
14:
779:
618:Len Spencer collection, 1889-1900
586:
522:
432:
725:
713:
701:
424:
291:Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel
157:
131:
650:Len Spencer cylinder recordings
550:
535:
509:
491:
473:
451:
405:
383:
303:
1:
683:Works by or about Len Spencer
376:
630:How to use archival material
519:, Pegasus Books, 2022, pg 32
177:
7:
364:
197:Columbia Phonograph Company
193:Spencerian Business College
10:
784:
338:A Hot Time in the Old Town
264:A Hot Time in the Old Town
763:Pioneer recording artists
612:
602:
418:Phonograph Monthly Review
156:
151:
114:
104:
96:
85:
66:
40:
28:
21:
168:Leonard Garfield Spencer
45:Leonard Garfield Spencer
758:American male composers
401:(1): 14. November 1896.
256:Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
768:Victor Records artists
664:Len Spencer recordings
654:Cylinder Audio Archive
499:"Len Spencer (author)"
469:(7): 12–13. July 1898.
350:"Ma Tiger Lily" (1900)
333:"Dat New Bully" (1895)
243:
391:"Mr. Leonard Spencer"
321:The Old Folks at Home
241:
674:Works by Len Spencer
607:Library of Congress
328:Little Alabama Coon
314:Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom De-ay
283:cerebral hemorrhage
266:." Music historian
260:Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom De-ay
205:Berliner Gramophone
199:, in 1889 or 1890.
562:The New York Times
244:
126:Advertising Record
678:Project Gutenberg
646:with corrections.
635:
634:
624:
623:
355:Arkansaw Traveler
295:Glenwood Cemetery
272:Arkansaw Traveler
222:in 1901 and with
165:
164:
137:
90:Glenwood Cemetery
70:December 15, 1914
55:February 12, 1867
775:
730:
729:
728:
718:
717:
716:
706:
705:
704:
697:
687:Internet Archive
620:
600:
599:
591:
590:
580:
579:
577:
576:
554:
548:
547:
544:Hobbies Magazine
539:
533:
529:
520:
513:
507:
506:
495:
489:
488:
477:
471:
470:
455:
449:
448:
439:
430:
429:
428:
422:
409:
403:
402:
387:
161:
139:
138:
92:, Washington, DC
73:
54:
52:
33:
19:
18:
783:
782:
778:
777:
776:
774:
773:
772:
738:
737:
736:
726:
724:
714:
712:
702:
700:
692:
616:
589:
584:
583:
574:
572:
556:
555:
551:
540:
536:
530:
523:
514:
510:
497:
496:
492:
479:
478:
474:
457:
456:
452:
441:
440:
433:
423:
411:
410:
406:
389:
388:
384:
379:
367:
306:
299:Washington D.C.
184:Washington D.C.
180:
147:
146:
145:
144:
143:
140:
132:
129:
109:
81:
75:
71:
62:
56:
50:
48:
47:
46:
36:
35:Spencer in 1899
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
781:
771:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
735:
734:
722:
710:
690:
689:
680:
671:
661:
647:
633:
632:
626:
625:
622:
621:
614:
610:
609:
604:
596:
595:
588:
587:External links
585:
582:
581:
564:. 1914-12-18.
549:
534:
521:
515:Stanley, Bob,
508:
490:
472:
463:The Phonoscope
450:
431:
404:
395:The Phonoscope
381:
380:
378:
375:
374:
373:
366:
363:
362:
361:
358:
351:
348:
345:Hello! Ma Baby
341:
334:
331:
324:
317:
305:
302:
220:Vess L. Ossman
179:
176:
163:
162:
154:
153:
149:
148:
141:
130:
123:
122:
121:
120:
119:
116:
112:
111:
106:
102:
101:
98:
94:
93:
87:
83:
82:
76:
74:(aged 47)
68:
64:
63:
59:Washington, DC
57:
44:
42:
38:
37:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
780:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
745:
743:
733:
732:United States
723:
721:
711:
709:
699:
698:
695:
688:
684:
681:
679:
675:
672:
669:
665:
662:
659:
655:
651:
648:
645:
641:
637:
636:
631:
628:
627:
619:
615:
611:
608:
605:
601:
598:
597:
593:
592:
571:
567:
563:
559:
553:
545:
538:
528:
526:
518:
512:
504:
500:
494:
486:
482:
476:
468:
464:
460:
454:
446:
445:
438:
436:
427:
420:
419:
414:
408:
400:
396:
392:
386:
382:
372:
369:
368:
359:
356:
352:
349:
346:
342:
339:
335:
332:
329:
325:
322:
318:
315:
311:
310:
309:
301:
300:
296:
292:
288:
284:
279:
275:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
240:
236:
234:
230:
225:
221:
216:
214:
210:
206:
200:
198:
194:
190:
185:
175:
173:
169:
160:
155:
150:
128:
127:
117:
113:
107:
103:
99:
97:Occupation(s)
95:
91:
88:
86:Resting place
84:
79:
78:New York City
69:
65:
60:
43:
39:
32:
27:
20:
573:. Retrieved
561:
552:
543:
537:
516:
511:
502:
493:
484:
475:
466:
462:
453:
443:
416:
407:
398:
394:
385:
307:
287:heart attack
280:
276:
245:
233:Steve Porter
229:Billy Golden
217:
201:
181:
167:
166:
125:
72:(1914-12-15)
753:1914 deaths
748:1867 births
652:, from the
594:Archives at
304:Discography
268:Bob Stanley
23:Len Spencer
742:Categories
575:2024-07-04
377:References
189:instructor
172:vaudeville
51:1867-02-12
708:Biography
640:biography
570:0362-4331
371:Ada Jones
252:brownface
248:blackface
224:Ada Jones
178:Biography
152:Signature
105:Spouse(s)
660:Library.
603:Location
546:: 30–35.
365:See also
357:" (1902)
347:" (1899)
340:" (1897)
330:" (1895)
323:" (1892)
316:" (1892)
213:Columbia
191:for the
115:Children
694:Portals
685:at the
666:at the
656:at the
638:A 1947
262:" and "
644:update
613:Source
568:
209:Victor
80:, U.S.
61:, U.S.
720:Music
566:ISSN
231:and
211:and
67:Died
41:Born
676:at
297:in
285:or
250:or
235:.
744::
560:.
524:^
501:.
483:.
465:.
461:.
434:^
415:.
397:.
393:.
696::
670:.
578:.
505:.
487:.
467:2
399:1
353:"
343:"
336:"
326:"
319:"
312:"
53:)
49:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.