Russell Alexander

Russell Alexander (February 26, 1877 – October 1, 1915) was an entertainer and composer, active primarily with vaudeville shows and musical comedy organizations.Alexander was born in Nevada, Missouri, and became a euphonium virtuoso who joined the circus band of Belfords Carnival at the age of 18. At 20, he became arranger and euphonium soloist with the Barnum & Bailey Circus Band and toured Europe from 1897 to 1902. Following his tour with Barnum & Bailey, Russell Alexander worked in a novelty musical vaudeville act with his brothers. Although his compositional output was relatively small, he is considered a great composer of marches. He wrote 33 marches, 6 galops, and several overtures, novelties, and other works. For part of his career he worked in acts with his brothers, Newton and Woodruff.On July 20, 2015, a memorial plaque honoring Alexander was unveiled on the Main Street Stage in Liberty, NY, just a short distance from the Old Town Cemetery in which Alexander is buried. The ceremony included a performance of seven Alexander works, and the event was sponsored by Windjammers, Unlimited.

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