James Melton - I'm Only Making Believe

Melton (1904-1961) was popular in the 20's and early 30's who later began a career as an operatic singer when tenor voices went out of style in popular music. He received vocal instruction from Gaetano de Luca in Nashville from 1923 to 1927 before moving to New York where he studied with Beniamino Gigli's teacher, Enrico Rosati. Melton also worked in dance bands, playing saxophone in a college jazz ensemble and performing with Francis Craig's Orchestra in Atlanta in 1926. The following year, he began singing on New York radio. He joined "Roxy's Gang", a cabaret group led by S. R. Rothafel, who worked with the Sieberling Singers. He worked for Victor with The Revelers and for Columbia Records with the same group (as The Singing Sophomores). He also appeared in several movies. Melton's operatic singing career took off in 1938. in the 1950s he continued making records, singing in nightclubs, appearing on television and collecting rare automobiles. This lovely record was made in 1929.