Stylistic question

[jmad7474]

When did American pop/stage singers stop trilling the letter "R" when singing in (American) English? I have several prewar records of such singers trilling the Rs (which makes sense as the performers needed to be heard clearly onstage in the era before microphones) but have never heard a recording of any song in English past about 1940 where the singer does this unless it is in a classical piece. Does anyone have any further knowledge about this?

[Ken Doyle]

It was common on pre-swing era dance band records. There are exceptions, Cab Calloway was still rolling some of his R's after WWII.

[jmad7474]

It was common on pre-swing era dance band records. There are exceptions, Cab Calloway was still rolling some of his R's after WWII.

That's interesting, I don't have any post-war Calloway records so I'll have to find one and give it a spin. I'm fairly certain that trilled Rs have also not been a part of everyday American English speech for at least 90 years, and the only English speaking people I am aware of who still do it are Scots and those for whom English is not their native tongue.