Harry Macdonough
{{short description|Canadian singer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| background = solo_singer
| name = Harry Macdonough
| image = Harrymcdonough.jpg
| caption = A picture of Macdonough from Bain News Service.
| birth_name = John Scantlebury Macdonald
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1871|05|30}}
| birth_place = Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1931|09|26|1871|05|30}}
| death_place = New York City, New York, United States
| genre = Pop
| occupation = Singer, studio manager, label executive
| years_active = 1898/99-1920
| label = Edison, Victor, Columbia Records
| associated_acts = The Haydn Quartet
| module = {{Listen
| filename = On the Bank of the Wabash Far Away by Paul Dresser, 1899.ogg
| title = On the Bank of the Wabash, Far Away
| embed = yes
| description = Written by Paul Dresser, recorded by Macdonough for Edison Records, c. 1902
}}
}}
John Scantlebury Macdonald (May 30, 1871 – September 26, 1931), known professionally as Harry Macdonough, was a Canadian-born singer and recording executive. He was one of the most prolific and popular tenors during the formative years of the recording industry. His most popular recordings included “Shine On, Harvest Moon” (with Elise Stevenson), “Down By The Old Mill Stream”, “They Didn’t Believe Me” (with Olive Kline), “Tell Me, Pretty Maiden” (with Grace Spencer), and “Where The River Shannon Flows”.
Music career
Macdonald was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.{{cite web |last1=Congress |first1=The Library of |title=Macdonough, Harry, 1871-1931 - LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies {{!}} Library of Congress, from LC Linked Data Service: Authorities and Vocabularies (Library of Congress) |url=https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n99055840.html |website=id.loc.gov |access-date=8 October 2021}} His earliest recorded performances were for the Michigan Electric Company in Detroit, which made phonograph cylinders for penny arcades.{{cite web |last1=Canada |first1=Library and Archives |title=Harry Macdonough, tenor (1871-1931) |url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/virtual-gramophone/Pages/harry-macdonough-bio.aspx |website=www.bac-lac.gc.ca |access-date=8 October 2021 |date=25 February 2014}} He caught the attention of Edison Records with a demo recording he made in October 1898, and began recording for Edison in the Haydn Quartet.{{cite web |title=American Quartet - Inductees - The Vocal Group Hall of Fame Foundation |url=http://www.vocalhalloffame.com/inductees/american_quartet.html |access-date=8 October 2021 |date=17 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017141955/http://www.vocalhalloffame.com/inductees/american_quartet.html |archive-date=2013-10-17 }} From 1899 until his retirement in 1920, he recorded hundreds of songs both as a soloist and in ensembles.{{cite web |title=Macdonough, Harry - Discography of American Historical Recordings |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/107888/Macdonough_Harry |website=adp.library.ucsb.edu |access-date=8 October 2021}}
One of Macdonald's lesser-known performances is for performing "Tessie", then billed as "Tessie (You Are the Only Only Only)" from the Broadway musical The Silver Slipper in 1903, becoming a rallying cry for the Boston Red Sox until 1918 and starting again in 2004 during the World Series.{{cite web |title=Medleys |url=https://www.sueattalla.com/medleys.html |website=Life and Times of William Christopher O'Hare |access-date=8 October 2021 |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Victor matrix B-408. Tessie / Harry Macdonough - Discography of American Historical Recordings |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200000777/B-408-The_silver_slipper._Tessie |website=adp.library.ucsb.edu |access-date=8 October 2021}}{{cite web |title=Boston.com / Sports / Baseball / Red Sox / Dropkick Tessie |url=http://archive.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2004/09/03/Dropkick_Tessie/ |website=archive.boston.com |access-date=8 October 2021 |language=en}}
During the 1900s, Macdonald took a job with the Victor Talking Machine Company, becoming assistant manager and later manager of its New York City studio.{{cite web |title=Harry MacDonough - Victor Legends of The Music Industry |url=https://victorrecords.com/harry-macdonough |website=VictorRecords.com {{!}} Victor Victrola® {{!}} Victor Talking Machine Co.® {{!}} VMI |access-date=8 October 2021 |archive-date=8 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008182221/https://victorrecords.com/harry-macdonough |url-status=dead }} As studio manager he oversaw the studio schedule, as well as negotiating contracts with artists and music publishers. In October 1913, he recorded a duet with the American singer Marguerite Dunlap of "When It's Apple Blossom Time in Normandy".{{Citation|last1=Marguerite Dunlap|title=When It's Apple Blossom Time in Normandy|date=1913-10-27|url=http://archive.org/details/78_when-its-apple-blossom-time-in-normandy_marguerite-dunlap-harry-macdonough-mellor_gbia0040680b|others=Internet Archive|publisher=Victor|language=English|access-date=2021-10-17|last2=Harry Macdonough|last3=Mellor|last4=Gifford|last5=Trevor}} Macdonald rose rapidly at Victor, becoming its national sales manager in 1920 and manager of artists and repertoire in 1923.{{cite web |title=Harry Macdonough {{!}} SecondHandSongs |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/56819 |website=secondhandsongs.com |access-date=8 October 2021}} He moved to Columbia Records in 1925 and oversaw the technical development of its studios until his death.{{cite web |title=Macdonough, Harry - Discography of American Historical Recordings |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/mastertalent/detail/107888/Macdonough_Harry |website=adp.library.ucsb.edu |access-date=8 October 2021}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Internet Archive author |sname=Harry Macdonough |sopt=t}}
- [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/107888 Harry Macdonough recordings] at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macdonough, Harry}}
Category:Canadian music industry executives
Category:Musicians from Hamilton, Ontario