ABSTRACT
British tenor, said to be King Edward’s favorite; he was the son of one of the Royal bakers. For a time his popularity was as great as Peter Dawson’s. As early as April 1904 Pike recorded for G & T, singing “Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes” from Gondoliers (#22465; August 1904) and two other numbers in the same session. Pike also recorded for the Gramophone Co. Zonophone label and the Columbia Regal label. He made Edison two-minute cylinders in London in 1907, and four-minute cylinders later (to 1910), beginning with “When the Berry’s on the Holly” (#13769). On some Edisons (#13769), he was identified as Herbert Payne. Among his other noms du disque were David Boyd, Arthur Brett, Eric Courtland, Alan Dale, Arthur Gray, Jack Henty, Sam Hovey, Herbert Payne, and Richard Pembroke. He was the Murray of “Murray and Denton.” Pike remained popular in Britain into the 1920s.
