Frank Crumit, one of the great Ukelele men of the 1920s, and often a favorite among 20s music aficionados, compared to the like of Cliff Edwards and Johnny Marvin. He was a vaudeville star, singer, and Radio star from the early 1920s to the mid 1930s. He was a solo artist, which meant he was never officially part of any group. But the members of the Paul Biese Trio could argue otherwise since he sang alongside them for a bit in the early 1920s.
Though he had been in vaudeville since the mid 1910s, he wouldn't start recording until 1919 when he would get his first opportunity to cut on Columbia. Recording only on Columbia until 1923. In 1924 he would leave for Victor. Victor is where he really started to take off, though his music by this point was quite popular, Victor would only improve it. Especially when they started recording electrically in 1925. Victor is where he would stay exclusively. Occasionally getting His Master's Voice Re-releases over across seas. But he would stay past his prime until 1934 when he would be asked to come to the then fledgling Decca to record. Only recording a few records before he would retire in 1938. Dying 5 years later in 1943.
As far as hits go, Frank had a good amount of them. Those include Oh By Jingo! in 1920, Sweet Lady in 1921, 'S'Wonderful in 1928, Crazy Words-Crazy Tune, I'm Mindin' My Business in 1924, I'm Sitting On Top Of The World in 1926, I Married The Bootlegger's Daughter in 1925, So Long Oolong in 1920, A Gay Cabalerro in 1928, The Return of The Gay Calaberro in 1929, Stumbling in 1922, and Someone Else Walked Right In in 1923, among many others.
