Singin' Sam the Barbasol Man

Singin’ Sam the Barbasol Man (b. Harry Frankel in Springfield, Ohio, January 27, 1888 – d. Richmond, Indiana, June 12, 1948) – Vaudeville performer, singer, and radio personality. After living his early years in Danville, Kentucky, Harry Frankel moved to Richmond, Indiana, at age nine. Starting around age twenty, he traveled with prominent minstrel shows and formed Two Blackbirds with friend Joe Dunlevy in the late 1920s. In 1930, he got his start on radio with WLW in Cincinnati, where he used the name “Singin’ Sam.” During a three-year stint with New York’s WABC starting in 1931, he became “Singin’ Sam the Barbasol Man” because of his association with that company. Not fond of New York, he returned to Richmond in 1934 and married Helene “Smiles” Davies, a well-known singer who entertained troops during WWI. Commuting to Cincinnati, he continued his broadcasts with Barbasol until 1941. Lastly, his 15-minute “Refreshment Time with Singin’ Sam” with Coca Cola aired from 1937 to 1942. In 1948, he died of heart failure.