Arthur Tracy

Arthur Tracy was one of the most famous of all recording stars of the 1930s and '40s. With his suave style and sentimental ballads he captured the hearts of housewives in both America and Great Britain. His voice was both a baritone and a tenor, which he described as "bari-tenor", and he claimed that the biggest influence on his singing was Enrico Caruso. Born in the Ukraine, he emigrated to America at the age of six with his parents. The family was poor and he received little education and no musical training. Once asked how he became known as "The Street Singer", he said it was because he had sung in the streets of Philadelphia for pennies. One of his most enduring hits was the song "Pennies from Heaven". As a teenager he began singing in operettas and quickly became a headliner in vaudeville, appearing with such stars as Will Rogers and W.C. Fields. Columbia Records put him under contract and a stream of hits followed, such as "Roses of Picardy" and "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie". On