Arthur Francis Collins Quotes

Arthur Francis Collins was born in Philadelphia. He was an American baritone who was one of the most prolific and beloved of pioneer recording artists, regarded in his day as “King of the Ragtime Singers.” Taking occasional roles for extra money, Collins enjoyed a star turn in a production given by the DeWolf Hopper Opera Company in 1898, and talent scouts for Edison Records requested Collins audition which, according to his wife, was held May 16, 1898. Within a few years, Collins proved one of the most productive and successful singers in the record business, and in his long career between 1898 and 1925 he worked for literally every record company active in the United States. He specialized in what was then called coon songs, popular African-American dialect numbers associated with vaudeville and minstrel shows.