Gray was born in Wrightsville Pennsylvania, coming from a long line of Pennsylvanian Scotch Presbyterians. He lived his early years on a Pennsylvanian farm, doing various duties. On wintry days he was said to practice singing down the valleys.
He went on to attend Pennsylvania State University, where he studied industrial engineering. He also attended the universities glee club, to further pursue his passion of singing. During the college years of his life, he made a living by stoking furnaces, washing dishes, and as a door-to-door salesman selling aluminum kitchen utensils.
Other jobs he had include sailor, shop teacher, and editor of a trade publication.
He then moved to Chicago, spending many years as a motor truck advertiser at Diamond T. Truck Company of Chicago, training his voice in his free time. He was able to work his way up to being an advertising manager at the company before he left for the theatre.
Broadway
In 1915, Alexander won the National Federation of Music Clubs in the category of baritone. After that, he hunted down Florenz Zeigfield to attempt to audition for the Zeigfield Follies, one of the most prestigious shows on Broadway at the time. Zeigfield, after seeing Gray's skills, hired him on the spot. He preformed on the Zeigfield Follies for four consecutive years, from 1921 to 1925. After leaving, he started preforming at other major Broadway productions, notably Song of The Flame (1925-1926), The Desert Song (1926-1927), and Sally.
Later in his life, he decided to do a few more shows. He played in 1940s John Henry, and 1943 performance of Blossom Time.
Films
The invention of the Vitaphone in 1926 gave way to the production of many feature length films with synchronized sounds, and a demand for singers who could fill the roles of the now-outdated silent stars. This gave a large opprotunity for Gray, who moved to California and began acting in some. He starred in the films Sally, Song of the Flame, Viennese Nights, Spring is Here, and Moonlight and Pretzels, between the years of 1929 and 1933. Also the short The Red Shadow in 1932. Most of these were alongside the actress Bernice Claire. He claimed that she was one of his best friends. He claimed that there was no romance though, and did not like the gossip that formed from this friendship.
With the demand of singing talkies waning in the mid 1930s, Alexander decided to move back to New York, where he could continue his Vaudeville career.
From 1951 to 1952, he hosted a short lived TV show called "This is Music"
Personal Life
On June 22nd, 1916, Alexander married Jeannette Rose Wolff. They were married in their home at 6912 N Lakewood Avenue in Chicago. They had a child together.
On January 29th, 1929, his wife and the brother of Bernice Claire were driving though Kenton Ohio. Mrs. Gray saw a railroad crossing whilst traveling down an icy hill, causing her to swerve and crash into a signal post. This resulted in Jeannette passing away, and Claire's brother, Jahnegen, being injured. A third passenger, Mrs. Russel Martin, survived with only minor injuries. Jeannette was later buried in their Chicago home.
He claimed to no longer like dancing after her passing.
12Photoplay Magazine Publishing Company (December 1930). Photoplay (Jul-Dec 1930). PFA Library and Film Study Center UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Chicago, Photoplay Magazine Publishing Company.
