Asbury was probably born Charles Adam Alvarez to Spanish immigrants in Florida in late 1856 or early 1857, and was raised by Emanuel and Mary Asbury in Augusta, Georgia. In February 1876, Asbury appeared as Sambo in an all-black production of
Uncle Tom's Cabin along with his wife Louisa Scott (as Emeline). In 1886, Asbury sung as a member of the
Unique Quartette and in 1887 played banjo with the Georgia Jubilee Singers. In 1891, he began recording for the New Jersey Phonograph Company, and continued recording for the
United States Phonograph Company after the bankruptcy of the
North American Phonograph Company. His repertoire consisted of
minstrel songs such as "I'se Gwine Back to Dixie" and "De Gospel Raft". Although the
United States Phonograph Company distributed nationally, the primitive duplicating technology in use at the time required artists to record frequently, so Asbury performed locally, with the Magnolia Quartette and Virginia Troubadours. In early 1897, Asbury recorded for the
Columbia Phonograph Company, which had moved its headquarters from
Washington, D.C. to
New York City. In 1900, Asbury moved with his second wife, Mary Jane Jones, to
Brooklyn, N.Y., and on May 26, 1903, Charles Asbury died of
pneumonia in
Bellevue Hospital. ==Repertoire==