Jesse Crawford

Jesse Crawford (b. December 2, 1895, Woodland, CA; May 28, 1962, Sherman Oaks, CA) was one of the most popular organists of the first half of the 20th century. Originally, he was a pianist in a dance band, but he changed his instrument in 1911, choosing to play organ instead. That year, he played a concert at the Spokane Gem Theater, which set him on a circuit of concerts in theaters. In 1918, he became the first organist to play Los Angeles' Grauman's Theater. Crawford continued to perform throughout the '20s, landing a regular job at New York's Paramount Theater in 1926, where he would occasionally perform organ duets with his wife Helen.

In 1925, Jesse Crawford signed a contract RCA/Victor, which resulted in several hit records — including "Rose Marie," "Russian Lullaby," "At Dawning," "Valencia," and "Roses of Picardy" — between 1925-27. For the rest of the '20s, he peformed a series of popular concerts and played background music for radio plays. During the '30s, he led a dance orchestra, in addition to playing his regular concerts.

Crawford continued to record and perform throughout the '40s and '50s.