William Stanley Grimstead was most famous as a recording artist. His career went back to the dawn of recording and would have gone on further had he not died at the early age of 41.
Grimstead founded the Columbia Stellar Quartet, the Peerless Quartet, the team of Burr and Stanley, Harlan and Stanley and many great minstrel recordings. But only when he started recording for Edison in the 1890's did he use his real name. He was soon convinced to use other names and that he did. He was listed under many different names, but mostly Frank C. Stanley and Fred Lambert. He was also the voice of the Columbia Phonograph Company. He along with Henry Burr (who's real name was Harry McClaskey) made a number of demo recordings, showing the wonders of the double disc record in 1908.
Grimstead died in 1910, leaving a wife and several children. There was a special program done at the New Amsterdam Theater on March 8, 1911 The theater is on 42nd Street and is still there. The program was to raise funds for his family. In this program all the major recording artists of the time performed for a public that rarely saw them. This program made a great deal of money for his family, and Grimstead's records would also make money for the family for the next 15 years.
His picture and name in the Victor Catolog
On Zonophone records he was Frank C. Stanley
On Zonophone records he was also Frank Lambert
He was the voice of Columbia phonograph advertizing
His records would sell till the mid 1920's. This pressing of Dixie recorded in 1907 was pressed around 1922.
His picture and name in the Victor Catolog
On Zonophone records he was Frank C. Stanley
On Zonophone records he was also Frank Lambert
He was the voice of Columbia phonograph advertizing
His records would sell till the mid 1920's. This pressing of Dixie recorded in 1907 was pressed around 1922.
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