B. June 25, 1899. D. October 5, 1997 at the age of 98.
Born in Kamenetz-Podolsk in Moldavia. His family escaped the pogroms and moved to the United States in 1906. Tracy grew up as one of seven siblings in Philadelphia. After the 1929 stock crisis he worked in nightclubs, variety, even sang black face Mammy songs. He eventually considered his voice a bari-tenor.
William S. Paley offered Tracy a fifteen minute CBS radio program. Not wanting to embarrass his family if he failed, Tracy chose to remain anonymous. By chance, he read about a Frederick Lonsdale play, called The Street Singer, and chose to utilize that name as his identity. The Street Singer debuted on radio in 1931 and quickly won over audiences. In 1935 he went to England. Tracy was considered the most popular singer in England, while Bing Crosby was number two. Tracy returned to the United States and entered real estate, with several properties in Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. He spent much of the following decades in real estate; ultimately he became a multi-millionaire.
Name Vars
- (The Street Singer)
- Arthur Tracy (The Street Singer) with Orchestral Accompaniment
- The Street Singer (Arthur Tracey)
- The Street Singer (Arthur Tracy)