With a fluttering, theatrical voice, always with a hint of the vaudevillian, Ada Jones became the first female recording artist (and easily the most successful pre-jazz singer), starting with "Sweet Marie" and "The Volunteer Organist" in the winter of 1894. An expert of the dialect, Jones became popular in the 1900s for her ability to break into all sorts of characters, and showing a knack for minstrel songs. As duets became popular in the first two decades, Jones would rise to the top of the art, pairing most frequently with Billy Murray and Len Spencer. She remained one of the most famous singers in the U.S. until her death at the dawn of the jazz era at 48.