Elsie Baker Frederick Wheeler

428 views · Published 7 February 2009 · 3:11 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: Pax41 Music Time Machine · 2009 · Music

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Night Hymn At Sea

Elsie West Baker, sometimes recorded under the pseudonyms Edna Brown, Nora Watson and Mabel West.  She began her recording career by making cylinders for a few companies but ended up recording most often for Victor.    She became one of the company's most successful contraltos on the black as well as the semi-prestigious blue label, eventually being issued as a Red Seal artist.

Frederick Wheeler  was a news reporter for papers in Utica and Rochester before starting his singing career.  Many of his early recordings where issued under the name of James F Harrison and then later under his real name.  In the 1910's he recorded many duets with Elsie Baker.  It is known that Wheeler and Baker were romantically involved but after their breakup they did not record together anymore.  Their last recording together was in January of 1917.

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