▁clin ic . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁spring ▁ 1 9 2 4 , ▁Joe ▁met ▁f idd ler ▁and ▁jour ne yman ▁bar ber ▁Al on zo ▁El vis ▁" T ony " ▁Ald erman ▁in ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁Gal ax ▁bar ber ▁shop . ▁The ▁two ▁of ▁them ▁and ▁Al ▁Hop kins ▁were ▁soon ▁a ▁tri o . ▁John ▁R ector , ▁a ▁local ▁general ▁store ▁ke eper ▁and ▁five - string ▁ban jo ▁player ▁who ▁has ▁already , ▁recorded ▁decided ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁better ▁than ▁his ▁current ▁band , ▁and ▁joined ▁them . ▁They ▁soon ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁to ▁record , ▁a ▁three - day ▁trip ▁in ▁a ▁Ford ▁Model ▁T . ▁That ▁initial ▁recording ▁session ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster : ▁the ▁technology ▁for ▁recording ▁such ▁groups ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁its ▁inf ancy . ▁That ▁wasn ' t ▁their ▁only ▁bad ▁fortune ▁that ▁year : ▁Doctor ▁Hop kins ▁died ▁July ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁ ▁Early ▁the ▁next ▁year ▁they ▁made ▁it ▁back ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁( this ▁time ▁in ▁a ▁new ▁D odge ▁R ector ▁had ▁bought ) ▁and , ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 2 5 , ▁recorded ▁six ▁pieces ▁much ▁more ▁successfully ▁for ▁Ralph ▁Pe er ▁at ▁OK eh . ▁ ▁Hill ▁Bill ies ▁and ▁Buck le ▁B ust ers ▁ ▁L ack ing ▁a ▁band ▁name , ▁at ▁the ▁OK eh ▁session ▁Hop kins ▁( wh ose ▁now - urban ▁father ▁had