Some Day - Albert Wiederhold as Herbert Stuart (1915)

"Some Day"

Albert Wiederhold as "Herbert Stuart"

Milton Wellings song

Columbia A1889

November 13, 1915

The composer Joseph Milton Wellings was born in Handsworth in 1850, the son of Joseph and Charlotte Wellings. Wellings achieved popularity in the latter part of the century with “Some Day." Later he declared bankruptcy and lived in poverty.

Now for the singer. This fine baritone was sometimes called Herbert Stuart on record labels. He used "Herbert Stuart" for material in the "popular" line--or record companies put "Herbert Stuart" on labels and in promotional literature. The singer may have had no say in the matter.

His real name, Albert A. Wiederhold, was used for material considered more serious.

This Canadian concert baritone was born in New Hampshire, Ontario, in 1873.

In 1940, he was 66 years old and lived in Kings, New York, with his wife, Edith

He used "Herbert Stuart" for Columbia as early as December 19, 1914, for an Irish tune titled "Daughters of Erin" (Columbia A1676). The name Albert Wiederhold would have been viewed as too German for an Irish ditty or, indeed, for this song about the Lusitania.

But he did not change his recording name due to growing anti-German sentiments. He used "Herbert Stuart" earlier, after all. He or a manager chose "Herbert Stuart" (upon the advice of the record company?) since it is less of a mouthful than "Albert Wiederhold."

Changing names to something simpler was standard in the entertainment world.

Highly trained singers did not want their real names on "popular" material, worried about the impact on concert engagements. The record industry was still in its infancy, and having one's name on a record did not help an ambitious singer unless that name was included in an expensive series reserved for opera singers such as Enrico Caruso (who enjoyed "Red Seal" status).

He was a trained baritone eager to sing opera arias--not Tin Pan Alley fare.




"Some Day" Albert Wiederhold as "Herbert Stuart" Milton Wellings song (1915) Canada baritone.