[78-L] Sam Ash on Grey Gull

[martha]

 Sam Ash, the singer, was born in Kentucky in 1884.  Sam Ash(kynase), the music 
store guy, was born in Austria-Hungary, 1897.

  The Sam who MADE recordings was primarily a Broadway show performer, then moved to 
Hollywood and appeared in films;  the IMDB lists him in 181 (!) pictures, almost all 
uncredited bit parts.   "Popular American Recording Pioneers" says he also ran 
Ashcraft Industries, which sold supplies to woodworking hobbyists.

 Interesting tidbit:  Sam Ash recorded more solos for Little Wonder than did Henry 
Burr.


From: "Donna Halper" <dlh at donnahalper.com>
To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 7:50 PM
Subject: Re: [78-L] Sam Ash on Grey Gull


> At 04:02 PM 3/31/2009, Bruce wrote:
>>Here is a brief biography of Sam the record store fellow. It
>>mentions that he formed a local orchestra the played Jewish gigs in
>>the New York area, but does not mention any recordings.
>>
>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Ash
>
> Well, I wonder if there are two guys named Sam Ash.  The one I've
> found written about in the newspapers in the early 19-teens is
> described as a vaudevillian and vocalist, but is he the same guy who
> founded the record store?  The Sam Ash in the newspaper articles did
> make records-- quite a few of them.  I found him recording for
> Columbia Records in 1915-- he was listed as a tenor on "Moonlight on
> the Rhine" in May, and in June, he was in the newspaper ads as the
> vocalist on "Virginia Lee." Newspaper ads in 1916 listed other songs
> he recorded.  What I don't know is why he went from Columbia, which
> presumably paid real money, to Grey Gull which often did not... And I
> wonder if this Sam Ash, the performer and entertainer, is in any way
> the same guy who opened the record store...