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Frederick W. Hager

Frederick W. Hager (December 31, 1874 - March 3, 1958) was a musician, recording artist, composer, and music director active in the United States between 1895 and 1923.

Hager was born in New Milford, Pennsylvania in 1874 and began studying violin at 8 years old. He received a scholarship to study violin at the National Conservatory, and led his own band in New York City at the age of 21. In 1898 he began recording for Harms, Kaiser and Hagen, a recently formed independent record company based in New York and in September of that year won the Phonoscope gold medal for best violin record for Schumann's Traumerei. He began recording for Edison in 1899 and Zonophone and Columbia in 1900. Between 1900 and 1907 Hager served as a bandleader for Edison (Edison's Concert Band), Zonophone (Hager's Orchestra), and Columbia (Columbia Orchestra, Climax Orchestra) recording hundreds of sides and becoming the nation's leading recording orchestra.

He was composing at the same time, and beginning around 1903 published a number of successful popular songs, including Laughing Water, The Midnight Flyer, and My Ramapoo. He worked in music publishing between 1907 and 1910 before returning to the recording industry as a musical director (choosing artists and repertoire) for several startup companies including the Boston Talking Machine Company, Keen-O-Phone, and Rex Talking Machine. In 1918 he began as musical director for OKeh Records, one of the most successful independent labels of the time. In this role he managed the recording of Mamie Smith's historic recording of Crazy Blues that initiated the "Race Records" craze in the U.S. Hager retired from recording in 1923 to Long Island, New York and died in Dunedin, Florida in 1958.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 31, 1874 (New Milford), Died March 3, 1958 (Dunedin)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1900 - 1935

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, violin, songwriter, leader, lyricist, arranger, conductor, author

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 216 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Pre-matrix C-]2022 12-in. 1903 The midnight flyer Victor Grand Concert Band Band composer  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]2098 10-in. 3/20/1903 I've got my eyes on you-oo-oo W. H. Thompson Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]2098 7-in. 3/20/1903 I've got my eyes on you-oo-oo William H. Thompson Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]3166 10-in. 3/2/1901 On the beach Metropolitan Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor B-755 10-in. 11/30/1903 I've got my eyes on you-oo-oo W. H. Thompson Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor A-755 7-in. 11/30/1903 I've got my eyes on you-oo-oo W. H. Thompson Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor C-832 12-in. 12/5/1904 Laughing water Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-832 10-in. 12/15/1903 Laughing water Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-832 7-in. 12/15/1903 Laughing water Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor A-1114 7-in. 3/15/1904 Laughing water Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor C-1841 12-in. 10/27/1904 The midnight Flyer Victor Band [i.e., Pryor's Band] Band composer  
Victor B-2941 10-in. 12/12/1905 Gleaming star Victor Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor B-3790 10-in. 9/13/1906 Passion intermezzo Victor Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Victor B-4817 10-in. 9/18/1907 Miss Dixie Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-6456 10-in. 9/24/1908 Father is a judge Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-12337 10-in. 9/5/1912 National spirit Arthur Pryor's Band Band composer  
Victor B-13546 10-in. 7/9/1913 Whistling Johnnies Conway's Band Band, with whistling composer  
Victor B-14394 10-in. 1/28/1914 La tordola cantatrice Vessella's Italian Band Band composer  
Victor B-15273 10-in. 10/9/1914 In the land of love with the song birds Joseph Belmont ; Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra and bird effects composer  
Victor B-17092 10-in. 1/31/1916 When I'm a sargent man Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-17094 10-in. 1/31/1916 The Georgia skip Byron G. Harlan Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-18057 10-in. 7/6/1916 The kiddies Conway's Band Band composer  
Victor B-18093 10-in. 7/11/1916 Ragtime in a toy shop Conway's Band Band composer  
Victor B-18983 10-in. 1/12/1917 Daybreak in Dixie Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Victor B-19885 10-in. 5/23/1917 Ragtime in a toy shop Victor Concert Orchestra Orchestra composer  
(Results 1-25 of 216 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hager, Frederick W.," accessed May 27, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111109.

Hager, Frederick W.. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 27, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111109.

"Hager, Frederick W.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 27 May 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/111109

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