Many years ago, I had occasion to visit Milford Fargo in Upstate New York (the town name slips me just now)....Fairport? Well, anyhow, he was the guy who had researched Ada Jones as thoroughly as anyone ever had. He was certainly her strongest fan, and he had THE Ada Jones record collection. She had recorded on almlost every format of disc and cylinder that had ever been. Fargo had a variety of players in his study, where he had all of his Ada Jones records. I spent a couple of hours with him, learning about her and her performances. I had brought along a Rex vertical recording that had been on his want list, and gave it to him. He was most pleased with it, of course.
I left there with a discography that he'd composed, and it was very extensive. I shudder to think the work that went into it. I have lost track of the year I visited him, but he died not long after, and the record collection was dispersed, sadly. A few years after Fargo passed away, I set out to transcribe the discography into a Word Perfect file, and put it onto a floppy. I sent a copy of the disk to Phil Stewart, because he would be the best one to have it at the time (and yet now, I suppose). Fargo also had made a cassette about Ada Jones, titled "The first lady of the phonograph". In the tape (I also sent one to Phil), there are selected performances by Ada. Fargo had traced her origin and career rather thoroughly, and he told about it on the tape. I must have the cassette hereabouts somewhere, and I should transcribe it onto a CD, along with the discography file. While Phil is still the best repository for that information, it seems to me that someone else should have a protected copy of it......or I wonder if others have that info now....? Ideas, anyone? > [Original Message] > From: BruceY <[email protected]> > To: Antique Phonograph List <[email protected]> > Date: 4/8/2008 7:10:31 PM > Subject: Re: [Phono-L] Artist Death Certificates (Ada Jones) Let us do > rightby Ada!! > > Not only did they not have the information about Ada Jones parent's names, > but her age at time of death on the death certificate is incorrect as well. > Every source that I have seen gives her birth year as 1873, that would have > made her at least 48 at the time of her death in 1922, but the age shown on > her death certificate is incorrectly stated as 40 years. Her date of birth > is not shown on the Death Certificate. Makes you wonder about the > circumstances of her death and who was present at the time to give the > information to the Funeral Home preparing the personal information on Ada. > The informant is listed as someone named Armstrong. That is not the name > listed on the death certificate for her husband. I am surprised that a Town > or City Clerk would even issue a death certificate without the required > information such as a the date of birth. That is the law!! I wonder if this > record could be updated and corrected at this late date. I suppose as in > most cases of Death Certificate adjustments, it would take a sworn avidavit > of next of kin to correct this. But I think we owe it the memory of this > great lady to at least give it a try. In order to correct this, the > acceptable party would need to submit certified originals of the proper > forms required by the City or Town where the Death Certificate was issued. > There is normally a fee for this service, but we would at least know that > this last known legal document issued concerning this beloved entertainer is > complete and correct as possible. > > Bruce > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Ryan Barna" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:34 AM > Subject: [Phono-L] Artist Death Certificates > > > Howdy, > > I just got done posting about 95% of my collection of phonograph artist > death certificates. If you ever wondered when some of your favorites died, > or what they died of, or what some of their real names were, or their > parents, or where they're buried, or if they were cremated, these death > certificates are a great source of information! I have not had a chance to > document some of the mistakes found on the certificates themselves, or type > out some of the hard-to-read handwriting (I hope to do both within the next > week or so), but this is such a fine collection that I couldn't wait to show > you. I think you'll find them fascinating in a sad manner. > > The URL is: http://www.phonostalgia.com/death and here's the first 21 > certificates I've posted so far: > > Frank P. Banta > Arthur Collins > Vernon Dalhart > Will F. Denny > Edward M. Favor > Arthur Fields > George Gaskin > Billy Golden > Byron G. Harlan > William F. Hooley > George W. Johnson > Ada Jones > Jack Kaufman > Harry Macdonough > Billy Murray > Steve Porter > Dan W. Quinn > Bob Roberts > Joseph C. Smith > Frank C. Stanley > Walter Van Brunt > > And there's more certificates to come in the next few months. Be sure to > check out some of the other things I posted. A few days ago, I added a new > section covering the story behind the obscure bandleader, Joseph C. Smith, > and just today I posted some photographs of Arthur Collins' grave. > > Stay tuned, > > -Ryan > _________________________________________________________________ > Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger. > http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_042008_______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org > > _______________________________________________ > Phono-L mailing list > http://phono-l.oldcrank.org From [email protected] Tue Apr 8 21:49:31 2008 From: [email protected] (DeeDee Blais) Date: Tue Apr 8 21:49:45 2008 Subject: [Phono-L] Vic Jr. Message-ID: <[email protected]> My best advice for buying a Vic Jr... buy either the black horn or if you're really lucky, buy one with a red horn. Whatever you do, buy one with a good original decal. The real value of a Vic Jr. is determined by the quality of the decal. Good luck finding one. Jerry Blais ____________________________________________________________________________________ You rock. That's why Blockbuster's offering you one month of Blockbuster Total Access, No Cost. http://tc.deals.yahoo.com/tc/blockbuster/text5.com From [email protected] Tue Apr 8 21:53:38 2008 From: [email protected] (DeeDee Blais) Date: Tue Apr 8 21:53:44 2008 Subject: [Phono-L] Victrola XVI for sale Message-ID: <[email protected]> Does anyone on the list have an interest in a very nice all original Victrola XVI? It's an early example made right after the "L" door series. It's golden oak and untouched original right down to the gold needle cup. I would like $650 and the price includes delivery to Union. Please contact me off list and I'll send photos. Thanks, Jerry Blais __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From [email protected] Wed Apr 9 12:24:24 2008 From: [email protected] (Graham Newton) Date: Wed Apr 9 12:44:09 2008 Subject: [Phono-L] Re: Amusing Craiglist Ad In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> References: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[email protected]> "Michael Graziano" <[email protected]> said... >> Victrola Academy with needles and slate records. Excellent working condition >> Moving sale. $350.00 or OBO. 512-819-0661/512-677-6039. > Gotta love those slate records. Actually, I don't see anything amusing about it... the description is accurate. Many of the old 78 rpm discs used ground slate as the principle component of the pressing compound, held together by shellac! The reason was to grind the needle to the groove shape in the first few revolutions... it looked like a chisel afterwards. This is why you were NEVER to remove a used needle and re-install it again to play other records, since doing so would destroy the next disc! ... Graham Newton -- Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, http://www.audio-restoration.com World class professional services applied to tape or phonograph records for consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR's CAMBRIDGE processes. From [email protected] Wed Apr 9 18:06:47 2008 From: [email protected] (Walt) Date: Wed Apr 9 18:02:24 2008 Subject: [Phono-L] Re: Amusing Craiglist Ad In-Reply-To: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <002b01c89aa7$279a03c0$0301a...@daddell> Yepper..."pulverized slate" (aka rottenstone) would be more accurate. Of course it is also possible that decomposed limestone (which is where rottenstone derives its name because it stinks) was used. Both are technically diatomaceous earth, so the seller could have also said that the records were made of dirt...sort of...LOL... I have to admit that hearing a record described as [merely] slate makes me envision Fred Flintstone firing up his Victrola-Rex, hefting a thick stone disc on a turn table and then slamming the nose of a pterodactyl down to play a song... -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Graham Newton Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 3:24 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [Phono-L] Re: Amusing Craiglist Ad "Michael Graziano" <[email protected]> said... >> Victrola Academy with needles and slate records. Excellent working condition >> Moving sale. $350.00 or OBO. 512-819-0661/512-677-6039. > Gotta love those slate records. Actually, I don't see anything amusing about it... the description is accurate. Many of the old 78 rpm discs used ground slate as the principle component of the pressing compound, held together by shellac! The reason was to grind the needle to the groove shape in the first few revolutions... it looked like a chisel afterwards. This is why you were NEVER to remove a used needle and re-install it again to play other records, since doing so would destroy the next disc! ... Graham Newton -- Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, http://www.audio-restoration.com World class professional services applied to tape or phonograph records for consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR's CAMBRIDGE processes. _______________________________________________ Phono-L mailing list http://phono-l.oldcrank.org No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.519 / Virus Database: 269.22.10/1366 - Release Date: 4/8/2008 5:03 PM
