Harry MacDonough

Harry MacDonough, born John Scantlebury Macdonald on May 30, 1871, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was a tenor, recording executive, and Broadway performer whose career spanned the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He died on September 26, 1931. Working under the professional name Harry MacDonough, he became one of the most prolific vocalists during the formative years of the commercial recording industry.

MacDonough's earliest work in recorded sound came through performances for the Michigan Electric Company in Detroit, which produced phonograph cylinders for penny arcades. A demo recording he made in October 1898 brought him to the attention of Edison Records, and he subsequently began recording for Edison as part of the Haydn Quartet. From 1899 through his retirement from recording in 1920, he produced hundreds of recordings as both a soloist and an ensemble performer. Among his most popular releases were "Shine On, Harvest Moon" with Elise Stevenson, "Down By The Old Mill Stream," "They Didn't Believe Me" with Olive Kline, "Tell Me, Pretty Maiden" with Grace Spencer, and "Where The River Shannon Flows." In October 1913, he recorded a duet with American singer Marguerite Dunlap of "When It's Apple Blossom Time in Normandy."

His connection to Broadway extended from 1883 to 1913. MacDonough starred in The Girls of Holland and appeared in additional productions including The Beggar Student, Jacquette, and Bellman. In 1903, he performed "Tessie," billed as "Tessie (You Are the Only Only Only)," from the Broadway musical The Silver Slipper. That recording became a rallying cry for the Boston Red Sox from its release until 1918, and again during the 2004 World Series.

During the 1900s, MacDonough joined the Victor Talking Machine Company, where he served first as assistant manager and later as manager of its New York City studio. In that role he oversaw the studio's scheduling and negotiated contracts with artists and music publishers. He advanced to national sales manager at Victor in 1920 and to manager of artists and repertoire in 1923. In 1925 he moved to Columbia Records, where he directed the technical development of its studios until his death in 1931.