Silas Leachman (1859–1936), a Chicago-based politician with a sonorous and rangy baritone, specialized in what were called "coon songs"—ragtime songs enlisting African American dialects and stereotypes. He made his first recordings for the Chicago Talking Machine Company during the early 1890s before recording for Columbia later in the decade. He made his first Victor discs in 1901. Read more on Last.fm