George O'Connor

American tenor (born August 20, 1874 in Washington, DC – died September 28, 1946 in Washington, DC) By profession a lawyer who rose to Vice-President (1907-1941) and later President (1941-1946) of the District of Columbia Title Insurance Company and was admitted to the Supreme Court bar in 1818, O'Connor also simultaneously became a leading stage entertainer who performed at the Gridiron Club, the National Press Club, the Alfalfa Club, the Knights of Columbus, and the Bar Association. As the "Troubadour to the Presidents," he entertained seven presidents, from Taft to Truman, mostly at the annual "White House Correspondents Dinner." Between 1914 and 1918, O'Connor also recorded dozens of songs, mostly for Columbia (he only released one record with Victor). Many of the songs he recorded were so-called "coon" songs, but he also performed other popular songs of the day and light opera. Connor's July 1916 recording of Lasses White's "Nigger Blues" is one of the first recordings of a twelve-bar blues song. Other well-known recordings by him include "Everybody Rag With Me" (1915) and "Pray For the Lights to Go Out" (1917).