Peerless Quartet, The
Peerless Quartet, The
Peerless Quartet, The, The most successful vocal group on records in the U.S. in the first quarter of the 20th century. The Peerless Quartet was founded under the auspices of Columbia Records and initially called the Columbia Male Quartet. The original members were Henry Burr (ten.), Albert Campbell (ten.), Steve Porter (bar.), and Tom Daniels (bs.). Their first hit was “You’re the Flower of My Heart, Sweet Adeline” (1904). By 1906, when Frank Stanley replaced Daniels, they had begun to record for other record labels and changed their name. Stanley became the group’s lead singer and manager. Porter left in 1909 and was replaced by Arthur Collins. Stanley died in 1910 and was replaced by John Meyer, after which Burr usually sang lead as the group scored major hits with “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” (1911), “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” (1915), “My Bird of Paradise” (1915), “The Lights of My Home Town” (1916), George M. Cohan’s “Over There” (1917), and “I Don’t Know Where I’m Going but I’m on My Way” (1918).
Collins left the group in 1918 and was replaced by Frank Croxton. This lineup continued through 1925, when it disbanded. Burr continued the group name with three new members, until the Peerless Quartet finally broke up in 1928.
—William Ruhlmann