Radio Personality. He was a popular (and said to be the highest paid) personality in the early days of commercial radio. Best known as “Singin’ Sam, the Barbasol Man” for his long association with that company, he began his career as a "blacked up" minstrel in 1908, performing with the most famous troupe of the day. With Coca-Cola as his sponsor, Frankel was later a popular vocalist, his transcriptions being played on many radio stations. He continued to perform as a minstrel into the 1930s, including performances in Richmond, Indiana, a town with a large Ku Klux Klan membership during the early 1900s, where his family had moved when he was nine, and where he lived out his life. He was married to entertainer Helene "Smiles" Davis from 1934 until his death.
Radio Personality. He was a popular (and said to be the highest paid) personality in the early days of commercial radio. Best known as “Singin’ Sam, the Barbasol Man” for his long association with that company, he began his career as a "blacked up" minstrel in 1908, performing with the most famous troupe of the day. With Coca-Cola as his sponsor, Frankel was later a popular vocalist, his transcriptions being played on many radio stations. He continued to perform as a minstrel into the 1930s, including performances in Richmond, Indiana, a town with a large Ku Klux Klan membership during the early 1900s, where his family had moved when he was nine, and where he lived out his life. He was married to entertainer Helene "Smiles" Davis from 1934 until his death.
Bio by: nicmart
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