Ruby Brooks

He became famous in 1887 when he performed and won at that year's banjo "Championship of the World" held in Chickering Hall, New York City.

[3][4] He gave concerts (often at Chickering Hall) and played in society programs regularly beginning in the late 1880s,[5][6] performing in many varieties ranging from the latest vaudeville tunes to attempts at serious classical music.

[8] He made three separate European tours,[9] performing for various royalty including the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), who was also a banjo player of some skill.

[10] By the late 1890s he had mostly ceased to perform in public, finding it more lucrative to give private lessons to wealthy students[2] and to make recordings for the developing phonograph industry.

[2] Although an influence on Fred Van Eps, he is considered by Kaufman and Winans to be inferior to that player, as well as his contemporaries Vess Ossman and Olly Oakley.

Banjoist Ruby Brooks in 1892
So Long Oo-Long (How Long You Gonna Be Gone?) - played by the Van Eps Quartet . Original music by Harry Ruby and Bert Kalmar . Arranged for banjo by Ruby Brooks.
The Stars And Stripes Forever March , played by Ruby Brooks on banjo, 1902
Brooks and Denton with piano accompanist J. Alex. Silberberg in 1892
Happy Days In Dixie, played by Ruby Brooks on banjo, 1905
The Darkies Dream, played by Ruby Brooks on banjo, 1898
Medley of " Coon Songs " played by Ruby Brooks, 1897-1898
Rag Time Medley (banjoist Ruby Brooks with pianist Frank P. Banta) 1899