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Alexander Gray described himself as "a bashful man with a stutter." Born in Pennsylvania, he attended primary and grammar school in Baltimore, Maryland, and spent his summers milking cows on his uncle’s farm in Lancaster County, PA. Few would have imagined that this farm boy would become a recitalist, operetta star, Broadway and film actor, and radio personality. From an early age, Gray showed an interest in mechanical and electrical things. His singing aspirations began at Pennsylvania State, where he sang in the Glee Club and took drama classes. After earning a degree in industrial engineering, he traveled to Europe as a deckhand on a merchant steamer. Upon returning, he taught carpentry and wood shop at a private boys’ school and briefly worked on the editorial staff of "Iron Age," a trade magazine. In Chicago, he taught at Northwestern Military and Naval Academy while studying voice privately. Opera singer Mme. Louise Homer heard him and encouraged him to seriously pursue vocal training. After winning a contest sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs, he was paid to perform recitals in various cities. Finding concert life financially challenging, he took a position as Manager of Advertising and Sales Promotion at the Diamond T Truck Company in Chicago, continuing to sing at church in his spare time.
Gray’s passion for singing blossomed fully when Chamberlain Brown arranged an audition for him with producer Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. and composer Gene Buck. They were creating a new "Midnight Frolic" atop the New Amsterdam Theatre, and Gray was hired as a singer. Following the New York run, Ziegfeld sent a touring company led by Will Rogers on a year-long road tour, during which Gray became the principal male singer. This was followed by appearances in the "Ziegfeld Follies" and the touring production of "Sally." In 1925, he co-starred in Oscar Straus' musical "Naughty Riquette" alongside Stanley Lupino, which led to him playing the lead juvenile role in "Tell Me More," featuring music by the Gershwins. That same year, Gray made his first recordings with Columbia Records. In the mid-1920s, producers Schwab and Mandel invited Gray to replace Robert Halliday as the Red Shadow in "The Desert Song," one of the decade’s most popular musicals. He performed throughout the summer, and when cast in the Chicago company, broke box office records nationwide. In 1928, soprano Bernice Claire, who had performed with Gray on the Albee Vaudeville Circuit, was the understudy for Vivienne Segal in "The Desert Song" and rose to stardom. Claire and Gray toured the show for many seasons in cities like Kansas City, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Chicago. When Jack Warner requested a screen test for Gray at the East Coast Vitaphone Studios, Gray invited Claire to perform a duet with him. Warner Bros. not only signed Gray to co-star with Marilyn Miller in "Sally," but also cast Claire in leading roles in several musical films, three of which featured Gray. Together, they became the screen’s first operetta duo, preceding Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. While in Hollywood, Gray was cast in lead roles for full two-hour radio adaptations of "Blossom Time" and "The Chocolate Soldier," the latter conducted by composer Oscar Straus. When the popularity of all-talking, singing, and dancing films waned, Gray returned to New York, where his notable Hollywood credits helped him achieve success in operetta revivals, vaudeville, and radio. He also continued vocal studies with teacher Jean Teslof. Beginning in 1932, Gray appeared on the Chesterfield Radio Program for seven months, followed by six months on "Voice of America," sponsored by the Underwood-Elliott-Fischer Company. In January 1934, he gave his first New York recital at The Town Hall. The New York Evening Journal praised him, writing, "His broad experience in musical comedy and radio, combined with earnest classical study, gives him the immense advantage of knowing how to ‘sell himself’ to the audience. He understands, unlike many singers, the importance of conveying a song’s meaning so it resonates beyond the concert stage. His diction, tone production, and delivery were masterful, much to the delight of a wildly enthusiastic crowd." After his success at The Town Hall, Gray appeared on the Chrysler Motors Radio Program for eight months. He spent the remainder of his career performing in operettas, supper clubs, and on radio. Across theaters nationwide, he effortlessly alternated between performances—sometimes only 24 hours apart—of "Rose Marie," "The Chocolate Soldier," "Blossom Time," and "Rio Rita.
