Saturday, February 14, 2015

happy birthday Harry Spencer!


Henry Caleb Spencer Jr.(1875-1946)

on this date, 140 years ago, the great eccentric and progressive Harry C. Spencer was born. He must have been one of those "weirdos" when he was a youth, constantly studying Mathematics and mechanical Science, and taking gadgets apart to see how they worked. He joined his brother Len in the recording business in 1896, but he saw the more technical and Scientific side of the recording business, he saw the lesser part of this young business. 
He has also been said to have been a performer with his older brother Len in the early and mid 1890's as well as being his back-up when Len wasn't present. He was just as good a salesman as his more well-known brother, and just as good a businessman. 
Harry had a very rather haunting voice, slightly deeper than Len's, more theatrical, darker, and more frantic. Harry had the unfortunate streak of mental illness that must have struck him not long after Len died in 1914. As he couldn't run the immense business that Len and his many friends left to him. He held everything that was left of the Spencer's together After Len died, but he could for only a few months. 
he had a mind almost too quick for his speech to come out clearly, almost in a stutter. This odd demeanor proved his very high intellect however. he may have been even more quick-witted and independent than his brother, he must have been more of the rebel, in the sense that he was a wild man, as his brother was. He did not really make any significant recordings, but what he really did was set an example of a true record salesman, how to fix phonographs, and how to promote the film business! 
he cannot be a forgotten character of the great Spencer clan! 

I hope you enjoyed this, sorry i haven't posted in a while...

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