[78-L] Cany Anyone Identify this Singer

[David Lewis]

Jeff Sultanof jeffsultanof at gmail.com wrote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You know, when I win the lottery (if), this would be a great research
project to do. One would have to listen to hundreds of records to create a
good sampling that would mean something, which means finding the records,
trying to find any sort of sales figures (pretty hard at this point), etc.
And as you point out, there are several considerations to take into account
with regard to acoustic vs. electric. One would think that such singers as
Fields and Kaufman would have to have changed their styles 'shouting' into a
horn vs. performing into a microphone. I don't have the records to compare.
At least we have examples such as the Edison DD vs. the electrical
recordings in some cases, and the Edison museum is not far from me.
 
>>>
I for one would applaud such a study and would find it useful. 
 
I'm sorry that the consensus is that Frank Bessinger is a poor singer; I had previously only heard him as one of the Radio Franks and did not recognize his voice away from the ensemble. I like this recording, and decided to use it for my Valentine's Day program tomorrow, precisely because of the arcane quality of the vocal and the weird, chromatically rolling 
nature of the tune. Below my sig I have included some information about Bessinger, who was a Michigan native.

I like Libby Holman too; she was a Cincinnati native and so am I.

Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis at hotmail.com
 
I am searching for information on Frank (H?) Bessinger, born 1892 in Michigan. Frank married Atha Snowden (she was married previously, but I don't have the name as yet). They had two children as of the 1930 New Jersey census named Betty Jean and Frank H., Jr. Frank was an entertainer, and had recorded for Victor. In 1929 he established The Radio Frank's, a night club in NYC. I did receive information that the club had a fire, but due to a photo I have of my grandparents with Frank and Atha, I know the photo was taken after 1949. The photo is in a sleeve with the club's name and address. - Maria McKee

 
I am Frank and Atha Bessinger's granddaughter, daughter of Frank H., Jr. Grandpa was a wonderful and gracious person. He lived until 1968 or 69, when I was a college student, so I have many memories of him. In his old age, he sometimes worked as a photographer's model (you can see in your photo that he was considered a very handsome man), and he and Grandma played the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus in North Pole, CO, for a couple of years. He had beautiful white hair and a full white beard, so no false whiskers were needed. Once, when I was a teenager, I was walking on the beach with him, and a small child asked if he was the real Santa Claus. I would be happy to answer any specific questions you may have. - Victoria Jane Bessinger 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469228/direct/01/