Background
George Alexander was born in Baltimore on July 9, 1867, his birth name was Clifford Alexander Wiley.
George Alexander was born in Baltimore on July 9, 1867, his birth name was Clifford Alexander Wiley.
He initial recording activity was for Zonophone Records in 1902, and he subsequently recorded for Columbia in 1903, where he produced the majority of his output. He also recorded a few sides for Victor Records in 1903. The same year, he made cylinder records for Edison under the pseudonym Arthur Clifford.
He died on March 2, 1913 in New York at the age of 45.
He has been noted for his "robust sonority and precise diction." Joel Whitburn, in his chart reconstructions, estimates that Alexander had three records that would have made the Billboard charts had they existed: Mighty Lak" a Rose (Columbia disc 1585, cylinder 32295) at #3 in December 1903. America (Columbia disc 3099) at #7 in May 1905, and Dearie (Columbia disc 3378, cylinder 32928) at #10 in July 1906.
