Al Bernard
Alfred A. " Al " Bernard ( born November 23, 1888 in New Orleans, Louisiana; † 6 March 1949 in New York City ) was an American vaudeville singer, old-time musicians and comedians. Bernard recorded a number of songs that are now considered groundbreaking in the history of music. He was also known as " The Boy from Dixie".
Life
Childhood and youth
Al Bernard in 1888, but possibly also born in 1887 in New Orleans. Bernard's parents were Alfred and Katharine Bernard. He went to the St. Francis School to school and later attended the Jesuit College. Bernard also had a brother, Joseph E. Bernard, who later also became an entertainer.
Achievements
Before Bernard records recorded, he traveled about with minstrel and vaudeville shows. At this time he also began as a " blackface comedian " act, a form of entertainment that is considered politically incorrect today. Early 1919 did Bernard for Emerson Records his first recordings. Among his first recordings was the St. Louis Blues, the WC Cell was written. This title is one of the first recorded blues songs of the history and had great influence on the music industry. Bernard recorded the song for a total of eight different labels. In May, his first album was released by Vocalion Records, and in the same year followed by more, including Bluin 'The Blues, Do not Cry Frenchy, Do not Cry, Shake, Rattle and Roll, I Want To Hold You In My Arms, all of which were recorded with the Novelty Five.
In February 1919, Bernard began his long-standing work with Edison Records recording of Hesitation Blues. Besides Edison Bernard also worked for Emerson, Vocalion, Okeh Records and Gennett Records. For various labels Bernard took over the coming years to more songs, often in different versions. Meanwhile he took the St. Louis Blues countless times, so 1920 and in the following year then with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. W. C. Handy wrote in his autobiography that Bernard played a major role in popularizing the song, as well as to mobile phones career. His most successful song, however, was in 1919 a duet with Ernest Hare, I Want to Hold You in My Arms. With Hare, he played always an Duets for shelf and Pathé Records, where Bernard took the female role. Bernard was also the first singer who successfully took up the folk song Frankie and Johnny. The song first appeared on Brunswick Records.
In May 1920, Bernard began his work with Victor Records and was in the next few years into a popular duet partner. Not only with Ernest Hare, but also with Bennie Krueger, J. Russel Robinson (as The Dixie Stars ) and Frank Ferera. As a songwriter, Bernard was also known songs like Read ' Em and Weep, Spread Yo ' Stuff, Stavin 'Change and Papa String Bean derived wholly or partly from his pen.
In 1925 Bernard often worked with the old-time musician Vernon Dalhart together and also took under his own name a number of old folk and hillbilly songs such as Little Brown Jug, New River Train, Cowboy 's Lament, O Dem Golden Slippers or Casey Jones. Sometimes on his hillbilly songs plates also more authentic musicians were pressed, like a Grey Gull Records plate; on the Yodelin ' Bill B-side of Gene Autry appeared ( under the pseudonym " Sam Hill "). His 1930 published version of Hesitation Blues along with the Goofus Five is considered groundbreaking for the Western Swing.
Later career
Bernard played up in the 1940s into a disk, but with far less success than in the 1920s. He had married in 1919 Gertrude Anderson, with whom he now lived in Manhattan. Al Bernard died in 1949 at St. Clare 's Hospital and was buried at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. He left behind two daughters and a work of countless plates of various genres.