Roger Harding (1858 – August 29, 1901) was an American singer, composer and music publisher active in the United States from 1890 to 1901.

Biography

Harding was born in Kentucky in 1858 to Roger Elias Harding, Sr. and Virginia Ford Harding. Per census records, the family moved to Saint Louis by 1870. In the mid-1880s, Harding married Charlotte Oakley. The Hardings had two children, Ethel and Roger, who were both born in New York City. In June 1890, Harding performed in the musical play ''Billie Taylor'' in New York City as part of the Ideal Opera Company. In March 1893, he played Nixey Weld in ''A Night at the Circus'' at the Harrigan's Park Theatre in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Also in 1893 he joined the minstrel company of Sam Devere, author of "The Whistling Coon" made famous by George W. Johnson. In 1897, Harding began manufacturing phonograph records at 18 E. 22nd St., New York, and late in the year sold the operation to the Excelsior Phonograph Company (later Excelsior and Musical Phonograph Company). Harding continued managing recording for the Excelsior company until August of the following year, when he was replaced in that role by fellow recording artist

William F. Hooley William F. Hooley (16 April 1861 – 12 October 1918) was a British-born American bass singer and pioneer recording artist who was popular as a solo singer, as a monologist, and as a member of several of the most successful vocal groups of ...

. He began recording around this time for the Columbia Phonograph Company (which had relocated from

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

), Berliner Gramophone and National Phonograph Company (Edison). In addition to his own solo recordings of popular songs, Harding sang duets with

Len Spencer Leonard Garfield Spencer (February 12, 1867 – December 15, 1914) was an early American recording artist. He began recording for the Columbia Phonograph Company, in 1889 or 1890. Between 1892 and 1897 he recorded extensively for the New Jersey Ph ...

, Steve Porter,

Minnie Emmett Minnie Emmett was a singer and pioneer recording artist active in New York in the 1890s and 1900s. Emmett was not the first woman to make commercial records, but was the first to gain prominence and influence in the field. A July 1898 article in ...

and Myra Price, and was a member of the Spencer Trio, Imperial Minstrels and Greater New York Quartette. By 1898, Harding had become associated with the Strakosch and Hess Grand English Opera Company and the Nellie McHenry Company, managing stage production and choirs as well as singing. In late 1898, Harding formed the Knickerbocker Music Publishing Company in New York with singer Steve Porter and pianist Fred Hylands, but the company was reformed as Hylands, Spencer and Yeager (with

and Harry Yeager) in early 1899, apparently before any publishing commenced. In mid-1899, Harding began his own music publishing firm at 1180 Broadway, New York, then 53 W. 28th St., New York in

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 ...

. In June 1901, Harding made his last recordings, for the

Victor Talking Machine Company The Victor Talking Machine Company was an American recording company and phonograph manufacturer that operated independently from 1901 until 1929, when it was acquired by the Radio Corporation of America and subsequently operated as a subsidia ...

. By August 1901 Harding had moved his publishing business to the Johnson Building in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, and died suddenly at this workplace on August 29, due to a viral infection. Harding is buried at Maple Grove Cemetery in

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

Compositions

*Save the Ship, Messmates (1891) *I'll Take Care of You, Grandma (1892) *Hush, Little Darling (1892) *The Same Sweet Face (1895) *Pretty Kitty Doyle (1896) *Old Door Bell (1896) *Don't Drive Your Child From Your Door (1897) *Neta, My Love (1897) *Norah Maloy (1897) *A No 'Count Nigger Boy (1897) *My Sunny Southern Home (1899) *My Love's the Same (1899) *'Tis Best for Us to Part (1899) *Pretty Kitty Clover (1899) *Mamie Tracy (1899) *I'll Love You Forever and Ever (1900) *Ain't I Your Baby Anymore (1900) *In the South Before the War (1900) *That's my Gal (1900) *You Don't Want Me (1900) *That Grand Amen (1901)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Roger 1858 births 1901 deaths Pioneer recording artists British emigrants to the United States

Biography

Compositions

See also

References