J. Russel Robinson

J. Russel Robinson (with only one "L") was a pianist and songwriter from Indianapolis. Robinson began his career in vaudeville around 1908 as part of an act called the Robinson Brothers; his first published composition was "Dynamite Rag," which appeared in 1910. Robinson's first hit was in 1912 with "That Eccentric Rag," and in 1916 he earned a co-writing credit with W.C. Handy on "Ole Miss Rag." Although white, J. Russel Robinson collaborated a great deal with African-American musicians and performers throughout his career, including Noble Sissle, Jo Trent, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Cab Calloway, and as an accompanist to blues singers Lucille Hegamin and Lizzie Miles. Extraordinarily prolific, Robinson was capable of writing lyrics and music, scoring more than two dozen hits in his four decades as a pop songwriter. From about 1916, Robinson was also a staff arranger for the QRS Company and ultimately cut a countless number of piano rolls for them. In early 1919 Henry Ragas, pianist for the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, died of influenza on the eve of the band's first European tour. Robinson elected to fill in and wound up staying in the ODJB until it dissolved under acrimonious circumstances in 1923. In 1920 the ODJB made a two-sided record for Victor of "Margie" with the tune "Singin' the Blues" inserted in the middle of it and "Palesteena" on the flip. All three songs were written by Robinson, and this was by far and away the most popular record issued in 1920, selling nearly a million copies. Even before the ODJB broke up, Robinson was recording with Rudy Wiedoeft in the Wiedoeft-Wadsworth Quartet, and later he would team up with singer Al Bernard on records, mostly for Pathé, as an act called the Dixie Stars. Although Robinson contributed songs for use on...