Few engineers live scandalous lives, but one emerged in the acoustic era that lived a rather extraordinary life. George Cheney came from a humble background, but worked his way up the corporate ladder, becoming one of the most valued inventors in the phonograph business. All of this success came crashing down just before the beginning of electric recording. His story is full of ups and downs, scandals, and novel worthy twists.
George Kenneth Cheney was born in Crown Point, NY in 1871. It is unknown exactly how he got involved with the phonograph, but he showed great talent working with machinery by the early 1890s. It was stated in several period sources that he began working for Berliner in 1897, around the time they had moved to New York. He proved a good inventor for Berliner, improving on their machines and methods for making masters.
He and the other inventors like Frank Seaman were beginning to find working for old man Berliner limiting. Berliner himself was no expert with wrangling talent and managing the financial aspect of the company. It had become so dire that Seaman had to pay the recording artists and manage the sessions himself. By 1898, Seaman decided to leave Berliner, and took Cheney with him.
The company that Seaman founded was to be called Zon-O-phone. When they
