Jack Clyde has long been a mystery to collectors and researchers. He appears to have debuted for the Imperial Player Roll Company of Chicago in about March 1915, at which time the Music Trade Review describes him as "a new aspirant for honors in the same (ragtime) field, Jack Clyde. These (artists) do all manner of amazing stunts in ragtimery." Two rolls released by Imperial that month bore his name as performer, 'Show Us How To Do The Fox Trot' and 'I Must Be Falling In Love With You, Dear'.

From that time on, he remained an active member of the Imperial staff until they were absorbed by QRS in 1922, particularly between 1916 and 1919. After Imperial became a subsidiary of QRS and were used as QRS's 'budget' label, Clyde's name begins to appear again, until about 1924 when it disappears for good (along with most of the Imperial artists).

The most likely candidate for the Imperial Jack Clyde is John Leonard Clyde, who was born 4th April 1882 in Putnam, Connecticut and was still alive as of 1942, when he filled in a draft card.

This Clyde is also elusive, appearing in only three official documents - the 1900 census, where he appears to be a musician working at a hotel in Brooklyn, New York. He lists himself as born Jan (or Jun) 1882, in Connecticut and his father as being born in the same state, mother born in Canada.

He is, unfortunately, completely absent in the 1910 and 1920 census as well as the WW1 draft, which cover the years he would have been working at Imperial, so it's very hard to confirm if this is the same man. However, the age seems approximately right, and in the 1930 census he appears as a resident of Bronx, New York, listed as a theatre organist (and boarding with a Cecile Willard, a widow of the same age who is also a theatre organist).

The WW2 draft card shows his middle name as Leonard, age 60, and lists his next of kin as Celia Willard, still living at the same address as he. He states he is unemployed and describes himself as having grey hair, blue eyes, a ruddy complexion and a scar on his face.

A death record in the Social Security index has also proved elusive. Hopefully new light will one day be shed on this aspirant for ragtime superstardom!