Billy Murray (singer)
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William Thomas Murray (May 25, 1877 – August 17, 1954) was one of the most popular singers in the United States in the early 20th century. While he received star billing in
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
, he was best known for his prolific work in the recording studio, making records for almost every
record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
of the era.


Life and career

Billy Murray was born in
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,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, to Patrick and Julia (Kelleher) Murray, immigrants from County Kerry, Ireland. His parents moved to
Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
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, in 1882, where he grew up. He became fascinated with the theater and joined a traveling vaudeville troupe in 1893. He also performed in
minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of racist theatrical entertainment developed in the early 19th century. Each show consisted of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music performances that depicted people spec ...
s early in his career. In 1897 Murray made his first recordings for Peter Bacigalupi, the owner of a phonograph company in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
. As of 2010, none of Murray's cylinder records with Bacigalupi are known to have survived. In 1903, he started recording regularly in the
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
area, where major record companies in the U.S., as well as the
Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...
music industry, were concentrated. In 1906, he recorded the first of his popular duets with
Ada Jones Ada Jane Jones (June 1, 1873 – May 2, 1922) was an English-American popular singer who made her first recordings in 1893 on Edison cylinders. She is among the earliest female singers to be recorded. Biography She was born in Lancashire, UK, ...
. He also performed with
Aileen Stanley Aileen Stanley, born Maude Elsie Aileen Muggeridge (March 21, 1893 – March 24, 1982), was one of the most popular American singers of the early 1920s. Early life Born in Chicago, Illinois, Stanley was the youngest of four children of English ...
, the Haydn Quartet, the American Quartet (also known as the Premier Quartet), and
Elsie Baker Elsie Baker (July 13, 1883 – August 16, 1971) was an American actress. Her career spanned the gamut from vaudeville through silent movies to radio to Hollywood and television. She has sometimes been confused with the American contralto El ...
; as well as performed solo work. Nicknamed "The Denver Nightingale", Murray had a strong
tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...
voice with excellent enunciation and a conversational delivery compared with bel canto singers of the era. His delivery was so precise and pointed that his vocals were easy to understand and enjoy. This is why he was the favorite vocalist of
Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...
, whose impaired hearing made it difficult for him to appreciate recorded songs. On comic songs, Billy Murray often deliberately sang slightly flat, which he felt helped the comic effect. Although he often performed romantic numbers and ballads which sold well, his comedy and
novelty song A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept, such as a gimmick, a piece of humor, or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs, which are more explicitly based on humor, and wit ...
recordings continue to be popular with later generations of record collectors. Murray was a devoted baseball fan, and he is said to have played with the New York Highlanders (Yankees) in exhibition games. He also supposedly sometimes called in sick to record sessions in order to go to the ballpark. Murray recorded "Tessie, You Are the Only, Only, Only", which became the unofficial theme of the
1903 World Series The 1903 World Series was the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball. It matched the American League (AL) champion Boston Americans against the National League (NL) champion Pittsburgh Pirates in a best-of-nine series, wi ...
, when the words were changed from "Tessie, you know I love you madly" to " Honus, why do you hit so badly?" Murray's popularity faded as public taste changed and recording technology advanced; the rise of the electric
microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publ ...
in the mid-1920s allowed vocalists to sing less loudly and more intimately and expressively. Murray's "hammering" style, as he called it -- essentially yelling the song into an acoustic recording horn -- did not work in the electrical era, and he had to learn to soften his voice. Though his singing style was less in demand, he continued to find recording work. Some of the lower-budgeted recording companies were slow to convert to the new microphone technology and continued to record acoustically, which offered further opportunities for Murray's full-voiced singing. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, the music from his early days was considered nostalgic, and Murray was in demand again. He did voices for animated cartoons, especially
Max Fleischer Max Fleischer (born Majer Fleischer ; July 19, 1883 – September 25, 1972) was an American animator, inventor, film director and producer, and studio founder and owner. Born in Kraków, Fleischer immigrated to the United States where he became ...
's popular " Bouncing Ball" sing-along cartoons and the Fleischer character
Bimbo Bimbo is slang for a conventionally attractive, sexualized, naive, and unintelligent woman. The term was originally used in the United States as early as 1919 for an unintelligent or brutish man. As of the early 21st century, the "stereotypic ...
. He also did radio work. In 1929, Murray and Walter Scanlon provided the voices for the Fleischer short animated film ''
Finding His Voice ''Finding His Voice'' (1929) is a short film, created as an instructional film on how the Western Electric sound-on-film recording system worked. Recording stars Billy Murray and Walter Scanlan, uncredited, provide the speaking and singing voi ...
'', produced by Western Electric. Murray made his last recordings for Beacon Records on February 11, 1943, with Jewish dialect comedian
Monroe Silver Monroe Silver (December 21, 1875 – May 3, 1947) was an American actor and singer who was also a comedian and monologist using a Jewish dialect-accent in his performances. Career For various record labels, he recorded 78rpm discs of parodies ...
. He retired the next year to Freeport, Long Island, New York because of heart problems. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' estimated he made between 6,000 and 10,000 recordings in 45 years under a range of different pseudonyms, selling up to 300 million records, a record at the time. He died at nearby Jones Beach of a heart attack in 1954 at the age of 77. Murray had married three times; the first two marriages ended in divorce. He was survived by his third wife, Madeleine, and is buried in the
Cemetery of the Holy Rood The Cemetery of the Holy Rood is a Catholic cemetery located in Westbury, New York. The cemetery, established in 1930, is part of the Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre. History The oldest part of the cemetery was originally the burial ...
in
Westbury, New York The Incorporated Village of Westbury is a village in the Town of North Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York, United States. It is located about east of Manhattan. The population was 15,404 at the 2020 census. History The firs ...
.


In popular culture

Decades later, "You're a Grand Old Rag", and "Shine On, Harvest Moon", two of his songs would be heard in
BioShock Infinite ''BioShock Infinite'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K Games. The third installment in the BioShock (series), ''BioShock'' series, ''Infinite'' was released worldwide for the Microsoft Window ...
, the former being heard faintly in one of the reveal trailers, and the latter being heard in The Fellow Traveller Pub. His single "Stumbling" was used in the 2016 horror game
Layers of Fear ''Layers of Fear'' is a psychological horror adventure game developed by Bloober Team and published by Aspyr. It was released on Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One worldwide in February 2016. In ''Layers of Fear'', the ...
. On May 4, 2020, musician John Mayer covered Murray's "Just As We Used to Do" with his dummy Cecil as part of his Sunday night
IGTV IGTV, short for ''Instagram TV'', was a standalone video application by Instagram for Android and iOS smartphones. It allowed for longer videos compared to Instagram feeds. IGTV was available as a stand-alone app, though basic functionality was ...
show 'Current Mood'.


Selected song discography

*"
Ain't It Funny What a Difference Just a Few Hours Make "Ain't It Funny What a Difference Just a Few Hours Make" is a popular song, introduced in the 1904 Broadway show ''The Yankee Consul'', and briefly becoming a standard. The song is a lament by Abijah Booze, the American Consul in Puerto Plata, who ...
" *"
Alexander's Ragtime Band "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a Tin Pan Alley song by American composer Irving Berlin released in 1911 and is often inaccurately cited as his first global hit. Despite its title, the song is a march as opposed to a rag and contains little sync ...
" *" Always Leave Them Laughing When You Say Goodbye" *" Any Little Girl, That's a Nice Little Girl, is the Right Little Girl For Me" *"
At the Moving Picture Ball "At the Moving Picture Ball" is a popular song composed by Joseph H. Santly ''(né'' Joseph Harry Santly; 1886–1962) and recorded by many artists during the silent film era. Today the song is best remembered for its unusually topical lyrics, which ...
" *"
Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee "Be My Little Baby Bumble Bee" is a popular song. The music was written by Henry I. Marshall and the lyrics by Stanley Murphy. The song was published in 1912, and appeared in the 1912 play ''A Winsome Widow''.Boardman, Gerald MartinAmerican Musica ...
" with
Ada Jones Ada Jane Jones (June 1, 1873 – May 2, 1922) was an English-American popular singer who made her first recordings in 1893 on Edison cylinders. She is among the earliest female singers to be recorded. Biography She was born in Lancashire, UK, ...
*"
Because I'm Married Now William Thomas Murray (May 25, 1877 – August 17, 1954) was one of the most popular singers in the United States in the early 20th century. While he received star billing in vaudeville, he was best known for his prolific work in the recording ...
" *"
Blue Feather "Blue Feather" is a popular song written in 1909 with music by Theodore F. Morse and lyrics by Jack Mahoney. In the song the singer is expressing his love for sweet Blue Feather. The chorus is:Mahoney, "Blue Feather" (Sheet music). References ...
" with Ada Jones *" Bon Bon Buddy" *"
Charley, My Boy "Charley, My Boy" is a song with music by Ted Fio Rito and lyrics by Gus Kahn. The Russo-FioRito Oriole Orchestra introduced the song in 1924. The most popular recording was released by Eddie Cantor. The sheet music was published for voice and pia ...
" *"
Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enr ...
" *"
Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley! ''Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley!'' is a popular song that was written by Billy Rose, Ballard MacDonald and Joseph Meyer and was first published in 1925. The song was recorded by several popular singers of the era, including a version by Billy M ...
" *"
College Life ''College Life'' is a reality television program on MTV created by David Wexler about the day-to-day lives of eight University of Wisconsin-Madison freshmen, filmed on the campus of the University but without the cooperation thereof (a disclaime ...
" *"
Come Josephine in My Flying Machine "Come Josephine In My Flying Machine" is a popular song with music by Fred Fisher and lyrics by Alfred Bryan. History First published in 1910, the composition was originally recorded by Blanche Ring and was, for a time, her signature song. Ada Jo ...
" with Ada Jones *"
Cordelia Malone "Cordelia Malone" is a novelty song written in 1904 by Billy Jerome and Jean Schwartz, and recorded that same year by popular Irish American singer Billy Murray (singer), Billy Murray. The lyrics are a stableboy's first-hand account of his court ...
" *"
Cuddle up a Little Closer, Lovey Mine "Cuddle Up A Little Closer, Lovey Mine" is a popular song. The music was written by Karl Hoschna, the lyrics by Otto Harbach. The song was published in 1908. From the Broadway musical ''Three Twins'' when it was introduced by Alice Yorke. Ada Jo ...
" with Ada Jones *"
Daddy, Come Home ''Daddy, Come Home'' is a song written by Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Beilin; yi, ישראל ביילין; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-American composer, songwriter and lyricist. His music forms a large pa ...
" *"
Dear Sing Sing ''Dear Sing Sing'' is a popular song, words by William Jerome, music by Jean Schwartz, first published in 1903. A popular singer of the time named Billy Murray recorded at least two versions in 1904, one for Edison Records and another for Victor ...
" *"
Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...
" with Frank Stanley, Ada Jones *"
Don't Bring Lulu "Don't Bring Lulu" is a 1925 Dixieland jazz song. Background ''Don't Bring Lulu'' was first published by Jerome H. Remick, based in Detroit and New York City, United States, in 1925. It is the 63rd most covered song from 1925. "Lulu" in the son ...
" *" Everybody Works But Father" *"
Forty-five Minutes from Broadway ''Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway'' is a three-act musical by George M. Cohan written about New Rochelle, New York. The title refers to the 45-minute train ride from New Rochelle to Broadway. The musical debuted on January 1, 1906 at the New ...
" *"
Gasoline Gus ''Gasoline Gus'' is a 1921 American comedy film directed by James Cruze and starring Fatty Arbuckle. Prints of ''Gasoline Gus'' held at the Gosfilmofond archive in Russia and Cinematheque Belgique. Cast * Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle as Gasoline Gu ...
" *"
Give My Regards to Broadway "Give My Regards to Broadway" is a song written by George M. Cohan for his musical play ''Little Johnny Jones'' which debuted in 1904 in New York. Cohan, playing the title character, sings this song as his friend is about to sail to Americ ...
" *" Harrigan" *" He'd Have to Get Under — Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile)" *" He Goes to Church on Sunday" *"
He May Be Old, But He's Got Young Ideas "He May Be Old, But He's Got Young Ideas" was a popular song, originally published in 1916. It was written by Howard Johnson (lyricist), Howard Johnson, Alex Gerber and Harry Jentes. It was published as sheet music and was recorded by several popul ...
" *"
Hello, Hawaii, How Are You? Hello, Hawaii, How Are You? is a song written in 1915, by Jean Schwartz, Bert Kalmar and Edgar Leslie. The song was inspired by the American Telephone and Telegraph Company's recent successful radio (then commonly called "wireless") telephone trans ...
" *" I'm Afraid to Come Home in the Dark" *" In My Merry Oldsmobile" *"
In the Good Old Summer Time "In the Good Old Summer Time" is an American Tin Pan Alley song first published in 1902 with music by George Evans and lyrics by Ren Shields. Background Shields and Evans were at first unsuccessful in trying to sell the song to one of New Yor ...
" *" In the Land of the Buffalo" *"
In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree is a popular song dating from 1905. It was written by Harry Williams and Egbert Van Alstyne (music). Popular recordings in 1905 were by Henry Burr; Albert Campbell; Haydn Quartet; and by Arthur Pryor's Band. ...
" *"
It's a Long Way to Tipperary "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" (or "It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary") is an English music hall song first performed in 1912 by Jack Judge, and written by Judge and Harry Williams, though authorship of the song has long been disputed. It ...
" *"
It's the Same Old Shillelagh "It's the Same Old Shillelagh" is an Irish novelty song written by Pat White. Its subject is a young Irish-American who inherits his father's shillelagh. The composer himself recorded this song on May 25, 1927 for Victor Records (No. 20760), and ...
" *" It Takes the Irish to Beat the Dutch" *" I've Been Floating Down the Old Green River" *" I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now" *"
I've Got Rings On My Fingers I've Got Rings On My Fingers is a popular song written in 1909, words by Weston and Barnes, and music by Maurice Scott. It concerns an Irishman named Jim O'Shea, a castaway who finds himself on an island somewhere in the East Indies, whereupon he i ...
" *" I Want to Go Back to Michigan" *"
I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" is a popular song. The music was written by Harold Orlob, the lyrics by Will M. Hough and Frank R. Adams. Orlob worked for Joseph E. Howard generating songs for Howard's productions and Howard presented the song a ...
" *"
K-K-K-Katy "K-K-K-Katy" is a World War I-era song written by Canadian American composer Geoffrey O'Hara in 1917 and published in 1918. The sheet music advertised it as "The Sensational Stammering Song Success Sung by the Soldiers and Sailors", as well as "T ...
" *" Oh! By Jingo" *" Oh, You Beautiful Doll" *" On Moonlight Bay" *" On the 5:15" *" On the Old Fall River Line" from 1913 *" Over There" *"
Play a Simple Melody "Play a Simple Melody" is a song from the 1914 musical, '' Watch Your Step'', with words and music by Irving Berlin. The show was the first stage musical that Berlin wrote. It ran for 175 performances at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City. ...
with
Elsie Baker Elsie Baker (July 13, 1883 – August 16, 1971) was an American actress. Her career spanned the gamut from vaudeville through silent movies to radio to Hollywood and television. She has sometimes been confused with the American contralto El ...
*"
Pretty Baby Pretty Baby may refer to: * ''Pretty Baby'' (1950 film), a comedy film featuring Dennis Morgan and Betsy Drake * ''Pretty Baby'' (1978 film), a drama film featuring Brooke Shields ** ''Pretty Baby'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the film ...
" *" Pride of the Prairie" *" School Days" with Ada Jones *"
Shine On, Harvest Moon "Shine On, Harvest Moon" is a popular early-1900s song credited to the married vaudeville team Nora Bayes and Jack Norworth. It was one of a series of moon-related Tin Pan Alley songs of the era. The song was debuted by Bayes and Norworth in the Z ...
" with Ada Jones *"
Some Sunday Morning "Some Sunday Morning" is the title of two well-known American songs. The first has music written by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Gus Kahn and Raymond B. Egan, and was recorded by Ada Jones and Billy Murray in 1917. The second has music b ...
" with Ada Jones *"
Tessie "Tessie" is both the longtime anthem of the Boston Red Sox and a 2004 song by the punk rock group Dropkick Murphys. The original "Tessie" was from the 1902 Broadway musical ''The Silver Slipper''. The newer song, written in 2004, recounts how th ...
" *"
Tipperary Tipperary is the name of: Places *County Tipperary, a county in Ireland **North Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Nenagh **South Tipperary, a former administrative county based in Clonmel *Tipperary (town), County Tipperary's na ...
" *"
Under the Anheuser Bush "Under the Anheuser Bush" is a beer garden song commissioned by the Anheuser-Busch brewing company in 1903. With music by Harry Von Tilzer and words by Andrew B. Sterling, the title contains a pun on the surnames of the company's founders ("Busch" ...
" *" The Worst Is Yet to Come" *"
The Yankee Doodle Boy "The Yankee Doodle Boy", also well known as "(I'm a) Yankee Doodle Dandy" is a patriotic song from the Broadway musical ''Little Johnny Jones'' written by George M. Cohan. The play opened at the Liberty Theater on November 7, 1904. The play conc ...
" *"
You'd Be Surprised "You'd Be Surprised" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1919 which Eddie Cantor interpolated it into Ziegfeld's ''Follies of 1919''. Cantor soon recorded it and it became a major hit. Other popular versions in 1920 were by the All-Star Trio a ...
" *" The Grand Old Rag (Flag)"


See also

*"
Take Me Out to the Ball Game "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is a 1908 Tin Pan Alley song by Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer which has become the unofficial anthem of North American baseball, although neither of its authors had attended a game prior to writing the song ...
"


References


External links


The Official Website of Billy Murray: The Legendary Denver Nightingale
* ttps://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106525 Billy Murray recordingsat the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
Billy Murray 1877-1954
Red Hot Jazz Archive

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20050414203315/http://turtleserviceslimited.org/hedhave.htm Billy Murray recording of "He'd Have to Get Out and Get Under to Fix up His Automobile"br>Billy Murray cylinder recordings
from the
UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive The Cylinder Audio Archive is a free digital collection maintained by the University of California, Santa Barbara Library with streaming and downloadable versions of over 10,000 phonograph cylinders manufactured between 1893 and the mid-1920s. The ...
at the
University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the U ...
Library.
In search of Billy Murray - interview with Sam Herman, Peter Dilg & Lew Green Jr.
on Thomas Edison's Attic radio program, WFMU, May 4, 2004.
Billy Murray, Anthology: The Denver Nightingale
(
Archeophone Records Archeophone Records is a record company and label founded in 1998 to document the early days of America's recording history. It was started by Richard Martin and Meagan Hennessey, a husband and wife who run the company in Champaign, Illinois. Ar ...
5501) * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Billy 1877 births 1954 deaths American people of Irish descent American male pop singers Blackface minstrel performers Burials at the Cemetery of the Holy Rood American parodists Parody musicians Musicians from Philadelphia Pioneer recording artists Singers from Pennsylvania Vaudeville performers Victor Records artists Vocalion Records artists Zonophone Records artists Okeh Records artists Comedians from Pennsylvania Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders members