Harney, Green, and Hylands

Ben Harney, 1910-11

Fred Hylands, 1909

I wish I had a picture of Burton Green, if anyone out there has one, please send it to me!

Well, those three names are among the earliest in performed Rag-Time music. They all did the same thing in the same area, in the same timeframe, so it's pretty obvious that they all were friends, even if they weren't exactly close friends. Hylands was the house pianist and music director Pastor's theater(with Mr. Pastor seen below):

That was the man who hired Ben Harney, Mike Bernard, Burton Green, and even Fred Hylands, all in 1896. He first took in Hylands, a twenty-four year old stage genius who had been writing, producing, and managing entire shows since age fifteen. Hylands was new to the New York scene, and was eager to get work, and within weeks of first moving there from Chicago, he was getting "gigs" everywhere around the east coast, not only in New York, but in New Jersey, and in Pittsburg. Pastor shot and scored with Hylands. Then he turned quick to another "rag time" pianist(remember that this is 1896), named Ben Harney, who had been doing his "thing" since 1893 back in Chicago(again, probably with Hylands already being aware of it), or, it may have been the music director and already pianist Fred Hylands who had heard of Harney for a while and recommended to Pastor personally that he should take in the progressive powerhouse Harney. With the first few successes of Harney at Pastor's, Hylands watched, and was contented with the Ragged time that Harney was doing, as it was something he had been going at himself for years, just like Harney. 

At a popular theater nearby, another rising star was making his impact, his name was Burton Green. He had heard Harney several times in 1896, and wanted to get in on the "rag time" action as soon as he could. How he got in on it well, by 1897, he was known all around the music community of New York, as a comedic entertainer and imitator of Ben Harney. I'm not sure if Burt was a dancer like Harney, but I know that he was an amateur singer other than just a pianist. Burt soon connected with the prestigious pianists over at Pastor's and Keith's theaters(which was another Harney and Hylands gig), and he befriended them quick. He made an especially important and close relationship with Fred Hylands, as he and Hylands were both sporty and bright fellas who were curious young men. Burt was 23, and Hylands was 25.

You can hear Burtie play behind his very famous second wife Here in 1911.

Hmm. I always think I hear Hylands in his playing, just slightly. They were very similar really, if you think about it.

Hylands only worked more at the theaters until  the last month of 1897 or early 1898, as that's when he was getting hot at Columbia's piano chair, not being able to go and do his managing  job nearly as much as he would have wanted to. Harney did remain there at Pastor's and Hylands took his place when he or Mike Bernard weren't there, which wasn't that often, but Hylands still came in occasionally, before he began the extremely tiring exhibitions at Columbia. Hylands and Burt Green still remained intertwined pretty secretly, as they still went out together sometimes and drank, after their long days at their work(if an exhibition did not get in the way...). As can be seen with the whole "Hylands Spencer and Yeager" thing in 1899-1900, Hylands and Burt Green were still good friends, doing the same "Rag-Time" business they had since 1896. 

Yep, Mr. Fred Hylands and Mr. Burt Green, mentioned TOGETHER. That tells you a whole lot just that they are mentioned right next to another, like they were a duo. I just think it's funny that Hylands pretty much invites the phonograph vocalists like they are welcomed as though they were boarders. The phrase:

"You are cordially invited to make our office your headquarters when in New York."

that really gets me. Hylands really wanted Len Spencer's rich kind to come into his contact and lend him some of their money. That was really the deal with Hylands. Hylands and Burt Green had left the Pastor system by 1900, but Burt still worked at Huber's theater by then. Hylands and Green still reamained friends until Hylands died, but it was pretty low-key after the collapse of the publishing firm in October of 1900. 

Harney's popularity remained for years, as his early popularity in the Rag-Time business still kept him with authority.The picture at the top of this post proves that his popularity remained for quite a while, as he was still a fashionable dancer and singer by 1910 and 1911, but it seemed that he just had the "Originator of Ragtime" term to show for it after 1915, as he lived until 1938. I still cannot get over the fact that Burt Green is mentioned in his death notice from 1938! It's really weird. Reading that is where I really wanted to know who this "Burton Green" fellow was, as he was mentioned being alongside Fred Hylands, Ben Harney, Mike Bernard, and Irene Franklin. I still want to know more about Burt Green, as he was only a little older than Hylands when he died(he was 47), which really gets me wondering.

I hope you enjoyed this!