Arthur Collins

Arthur Francis Collins (February 7, 1864 – August 2, 1933) was an American baritone and actor. One of the pioneer recording artists, regarded in his day as "king of the Ragtime Singers", Collins was popular from the late 1880s to the late 1910s.

Biography Collins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved with his family to Barnegat, New Jersey, around 1879 and as a teenager worked as a volunteer lifeguard on the Jersey shore, beginning an enthusiasm for sailing that became a lifelong pursuit. However, his fine baritone voice – heard in church and in local concert appearances – convinced Collins's family to send him back to Philadelphia for formal training.

Selected discography

1890s 1898 "Happy Days in Dixie" "Zizzy Ze Zum Zum"

1899 "All Coons Look Alike to Me" (Edison 7317) "When You Ain't Got No More Money" † "Hello! Ma Baby"

1916 "If You've Got a Little Bit"

1918 "When Tony Goes Over The Top"

1919 "Climbing Up the Golden Stairs" "Suicide Blues"

1920s 1920 "Old Man Jazz" "The Argentines, the Portuguese and the Greeks"

1924

"Go 'Long, Mule"

† Indicates a recording that reached number one on sales charts.

Discography sources Arthur Collins cylinder recordings, from the UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive at the University of California, Santa Barbara Library.