DESCRIPTION:
Henry Burr, Tenor with orchestra -- Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Roy Turk /Lou Handman), Victor 1927 (USA)

NOTE: Henry Burr (born: Harry McClaskey in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada in 1885 -- d. 1941) Canadian tenor, one of the most prolific recording artist of his time (more than 12,000 recordings). He began singing at age 13, as a boy soprano with a Saint John concert band. When Giuseppe Campanari of the Metropolitan Opera heard Burr's singing, he suggested that Burr go to the United States to study voice. In 1902, he left for New York City, where he studied with John D. Meehan and Ellen Burr (from whom he adopted his most often used professional pseudonym) and sang at Grace Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1904 he began recording for Columbia. In 1906, he joined the Columbia Male Quartet, which recorded under the name Peerless Quartet for the Victor label. He assumed the leadership of the group in 1910, managing it until 1928. Over the years, he recorded under many names (Harry McClaskey, Henry Burr and Irving Gillette, to name a few). He also sang with a number of ensembles and performed many popular duets with Albert Campbell. In 1915, he assembled a touring troupe of the most popular Victor recording artists, including singers Billy Murray, Arthur Collins, Albert Campbell and banjo player Vess Ossman. After several years of recording as a freelance artist, Burr signed an exclusive contract with Victor and continued to manage and tour with the "Eight Popular Victor Artists" troupe. When, after a management change in 1927, Victor decided not to renew the ensemble's contract, Burr disbanded the group and assumed the position of programme director for the Columbia Broadcasting Company (later CBS). Burr was never content to rely solely on his singing career, involving himself in other ventures. In 1915, to try his hand at record making, he established the Paroquette Manufacturing Co., which soon went out of business. He was joint owner of a banjo factory, for a few years he ran a music publishing company in New York City, he wrote lyrics for other artists. Though his recording career was largely over by the late 1920s -- due to changes in recording technology and popular taste -- Burr made a successful comeback on Chicago radio station WLS's "National Barn Dance" in the 1930s. The programme's popularity rivaled that of Nashville's "Grand Ole Opry". Henry Burr died of throat cancer in 1941 and was buried in Westchester, New York.