The Composers of Tin Pan Alley

Over the years we've researched and published short biographies on the composers whose music we feature on the site. As of this date (June, 2006), we've published well over 260 biographies. The biographies usually appear in each feature with the music, however many of you have requested a central location for the biographies so that you may look up the composers separately.

We are pleased to provide this resource for you here.

The following are the "short" biographies available. The names below link to the individual biographies. To return to this list just use your browser "back" button after viewing the biography. Names are listed alphabetically by last name, read across then down.

Maurice Abrahams was born in Russia in 1883 and died in NYC in 1931. He was a popular composer and lyricist, writing a number of popular songs including some we have featured in past issues such as The Pullman Porters On Parade in our February, 2000 issue about the artist E.H. Pfeiffer. Some of his other hits include, Hitchy Koo, 1912, Oh, You Million Dollar Doll, 1913 and Cowboy Joe. He started his own publishing company in 1923 and was married to the popular singer Belle Baker.

Frank R. Adams (1883 - 1963) Attended the University of Chicago at the same time as Will Hough. For a time he was a reporter for thye Chicago Tribune and then for the Daily News and Examiner. His most famous collaboration was with Will Hough and Joe Howard on I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now in 1909.

Stephen Adams, see Michael Maybrick

Milton Ager (b. 1893, Chicago - d. 1979, Los Angeles) Ager 's early career was much like many other Tin Pan Alley greats inasmuch as he started out as a vaudelville pianist and played piano for (silent) movies in theaters. He moved to New York in 1913 and became an arranger for the Waterson, Berlin & Snyder publishing house. He served honorably in the military during WWI and later was an arranger for George M. Cohan. His very first published song was Everything Is Peaches Down In Georgia in 1918. He also wrote scores for a number of Broadway musicals including Rain Or Shine in 1928 which came out as a movie in 1930.

Ager wrote many memorable and lasting hits during his career including; Between 1922 to 1930 he wrote Mama Goes Where Papa Goes, and a hit song for Sophie Tucker, The Last of the Red Hot Mamas!. Other songs in this period include Lovin’ Sam, Hard-Hearted Hannah, I Wonder What’s Become of Sally, Ain’t She Sweet? and the classic Happy Days Are Here Again which later become the theme song for President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 inauguration and remained the theme song for the Democratic Party for many years since. Perhaps his best known song was Ain't She Sweet (1927) which has often been used as a song that most represents the roaring twenties. In 1930, Ager moved to Hollywood and contributed to the film scores of Honky Tonk, King of Jazz and Chasing Rainbows. Songs in these pictures include “Happy Feet”, “A Bench in the Park” and If I Didn’t Care. Ager was inducted into the songwriter's hall of fame in 1972. (essential facts from Kinkle, p. 482 and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame biography at http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibit_bio.asp?exhibitId=205 )

Will R. Anderson This particular Anderson is difficult to pin down. There was a somgwriter William Robert or W. R. Anderson who flourished at the same time and who also was published by Whitmark. I suspect this is the same guy. Born in 1891, we know little else about him other than a scant few songs. Besides Just Some One, Anderson wrote; Good Night Dear (1908), Bring Me A Letter From My Old Home Town (1918), Take It From Me (1918) and Evening, My Love and You (1923).

Henry W. Armstrong (AKA Harry) (b. 1879, Sommerville, Mass., d. 1951, New York, NY) One does not often think of a prize fighter as a genteel lovers of the arts, but Armstrong is an exception. His varied career not only included his bout(s) as a pugilist but also included booking agent, producer, singer, pianist and of course composer. As a performer, Armstrong entertained in hospitals during the first world war and as well, performed in night clubs, radio and near the end of his life, even on TV. His biggest hit was Sweet Adeline, in 1903 with Richard H. Gerard.

Nat D. Ayer (b. 1897, Boston - d. 1952, Bath, England) Ayer wrote a number of lasting and contemporary hits during his time on Tin Pan Alley including King Chanticleer (1911, lyrics by Seymour Brown, used in the Ziegfeld Follies) and a huge hit, If You Were The Only Girl In The World in 1916. The music from King Chanticleer is very often performed at ragtime festivals (never the lyrics), - even used as background music in films and accompaniment to silent films. Ayer left "Tin Pan Alley" to return to England, where he remained until the end of his life, composing mostly for the theater. His shows there include The Bing Boys Are Here (1916), The Bing Boys Are There (1917) and the Bing Boys On Broadway (1918) all of which were produced at the Alhambra Theater in London.

Among his other compositions are: Another Little Drink, Bingo Farm, and Zuyder Zee, a popular novelty song:

Zuyder Zee, Zuyder Zee,
Zuyder Beautiful Zee.
You unt me, You unt Me,
Oh How Happy Ve'll Be"

Thécla Badarzewska-Baranowska (1834-1861) Born in Warsaw Poland. Badarzewska was a self trained amateur pianist who received no formal musical education. She is known mainly for the Maiden's Prayer which was published in 80 countries and it was published in versions for four hands, eight hands, other instruments and voice. A composer of salon pieces, Badarzewska published a number of follow on pieces to this work including Second prayer of a Maiden, The Prayer's Answer. Her other published works include; Sweet Dreams, Memories of a Hut and Memories of a Friendship. She died at the tender age of 27 in her native Warsaw.

Edwin Eugene Bagley (1857 - 1922) Was one of Americas most eminent bandmasters and composer of marches. His most famous march is the National Emblem however many of his marches are still quite popular today and are frequently played at military ceremonies. The tune to the National Emblem was used in a novelty song, And The Monkey Wrapped His Tail Around The Flagpole.

Bagley began his music career at the age of nine as a vocalist and comedian with Leavitt’s Bellringers, a company of entertainers that toured many of the larger cities of the United States. He began playing the cornet, traveling for six years with the Swiss Bellringers, after which time he joined Blaisdell’s Orchestra of Concord, New Hampshire. In 1880, he came to Boston as a solo cornetist at the Park Theater. For nine years, he traveled with the Bostonians, an opera company. While with this company, he changed from cornet to trombone. He performed with the Germania Band of Boston and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. By this time he had already composed many marches, including Front Section, The Imperial, The Ambassador, and America Victorious. Bagley never took a lesson on any musical instrument. He was also a fine artist who could have made a name for himself as a caricaturist.

Ernest R. Ball (b. July 21, 1878 Cleveland, OH. d. May 3, 1927 Santa Ana, CA)
Ball was precocious in music from the start. He was given music instruction at the Cleveland Conservatory, and as early as age 13 began giving music lessons to others. Today he is noted mostly as one of America's best loved composers of Irish songs and is often called the American Tosti (Francesco Paolo Tosti, 1846-1916, a prolific and talented Italian song composer and teacher.) Though he was famed as a composer of Irish tunes, he wrote many other "mainstream" songs, actually, many more than his "Irish" output.

In 1905, Ball was already in New York City and working as a relief pianist at the Union Square Theater and later worked in Tin Pan Alley at the Whitmark publishing house as a song demonstrator. Ball remained a loyal employee of Whitmark for the rest of his life in spite of his fame. Ball's early attempts at composing were self described as "flops." In 1904 he wrote In The Shadow Of The Pyramids with Cecil Mack. Introduced by the dynamic and popular May Irwin, that song was also a "flop." In 1905 he was given a few verses written by the then state Senator, James J. Walker, who later became famous as Jimmy Walker, Mayor of New York City. He put one of the verse to music, and called it Will You Love Me In December as You Do In May?. It became a national hit. This song caused Ball to reassess his approach and in he later recounted that he realized this song had "come from the heart" where his earlier songs had been fabricated and structured. Ball said, "Then and there I determined I would write honestly and sincerely of the things I knew about and that folks generally knew about and were interested in."

From that beginning and from 1907 to 1910, Ball wrote a number of 'mainstream' songs that were moderately successful. But in 1910, a collaboration with Chaucey Olcott, changed his career. In that year, Ball wrote the Irish classic, Mother Machree. Two years later, in 1912 the lyricist of Mother Machree, Rida Johnson Young, joined him again to publish When Irish Eyes Are Smiling and his position as a writer of Irish ballads was cemented forever. He wrote hundreds of songs over his career, many Irish, many not and it is said his output amounted to over 25 million copies of sheet music sold. His last song published was appropriately, Irish, the 1927 hit Rose of Killarney with lyrics by William Davidson.

Ball also enjoyed a long career in vaudeville as a singer of his own ballads. During later appearances, he costarred with his wife, Maude Lambert. In 1927, A few minutes after his act on a Santa Ana, CA vaudeville theater, he suffered a fatal heart attack and died, just 49 years old. Fittingly, he had just performed a medley of his greatest hits as a recap of his great musical accomplishments. On hearing of his death, the great Irish tenor John Mc Cormack said; "Ernie is not dead. He will live forever in his songs."

Ball was buried at Lake View Cemetery Cleveland, Cuyahoga County Ohio, USA

Billy Baskette (1884 - 1949) was very successful with a number of prominent songs to his credit besides this one. He wrote Hawaiian Butterfly(1917), Dream Train (1929) and Hoosier Sweetheart(1927) to name only a few. One of his songs, Baby's Prayer Will Soon Be Answered was written in 1919 in response to his earlier song Just A Baby's Prayer at Twilight (For Her Daddy Over There) a pair of late war songs hoping for a soldier's safe return.

Irving Berlin. Born Isidore Baline in Temun, Russia, in 1888, Berlin moved to New York City with his family in 1893. He published his first work, Marie of Sunny Italy (Scorch format) in 1907 at age 19 and immediately had his first hit on his hands. It was at that time he changed his name to Irving Berlin. His total royalties for this first song amounted to 37 cents. In 1911 the publication of Alexander's Ragtime Band (MIDI) established his reputation as a songwriter. He formed his own music-publishing business in 1919, and in 1921 he became a partner in the construction of the Music Box Theater in New York, staging his own popular revues at the theater for several years. Berlin wrote about 1500 songs. One unique fact about Berlin is that he was not able to read or write music or play the piano except in one key (F sharp). He picked out melodies or dictated them and had assistants fill in the harmonies and accompaniment for him. Berlin never seemed to give credit for these very talented people. In his later years, he had a special device attached to his piano that allowed him to transpose any song into his "favorite" key. His initial start in the music industry was as a singer and then as a lyricist. It was only after great success in writing lyrics that Berlin turned to melodies.

Whether for Broadway musicals or films, for humorous songs or romantic ballads, his compositions are celebrated for their appealing melodies and memorable lyrics. Among the numerous musical comedies and revues for which Berlin wrote music and lyrics were Annie Get Your Gun (1946), and Mr. President (1962). His many popular songs include There's No Business Like Show Business, God Bless America, and White Christmas. In 1968 Berlin received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. On September 22nd 1989, at the age of 101, Berlin died in his sleep in New York City.

It is almost impossible to provide a meaningful biographical sketch of Berlin in only a few words, he is perhaps the most celebrated and successful composer of American song from the Tin Pan Alley era. Way back in November of 1998 we did a feature on Berlin's music, which we updated early in 2003. In addition, we have added a more extensive biography of Berlin for those who want to know more about him.

Al Bernard (1888 - 1949)was a famous minstrel singer who teamed up with the great ragtime composer J. Russell Robinson in a vaudeville team called the Dixie Stars. They recorded songs together for a number of famous labels. Bernard usually sang while Robinson played the piano and added some vocals. Together they composed a number of hit songs including Blue Eyed Sally and Let Me Be The First To Kiss You Good Morning. For a brief period in the early 20's Bernard was teamed with the Great Jimmy Durante and wrote the lyrics for Papa String Bean for Durante. Through it all Bernard continued to be a popular recording star and enjoyed a long career as a singer. Some of his recordings can still be found for sale across the net as prized collector's items. Ernest Hare was also a singer of some fame during the twenties and from 1925 -29 was teamed with Billy Jones. Together they recorded a number of novelty and comedy songs and were known as the "Happiness Boys." I could find no information about Schafer.

John W. Bischoff (b. 1850, Chicago - d. 1909 Washington, D.C.) Blind from the tender age of two, Bischoff went on to become a noted organist, compiler of musical collections and composer. His compilations included a significant number of his own works and include Gospel Bells, 1883, God Be With You, 1880 and Not Half Has Been Told, 1877. He was principal organist at the First Congregational Church in Washington from 1874 till his death in 1909.

Sir, Henry Rowley Bishop, (1786 - 1855) was, during his times one of the most important composers in England. The first composer to be knighted by Queen Victoria in 1842, Bishop was highly regarded as a composer particularly of songs and opera. In spite of the enormous list of his stage works, that includes no fewer than eight pieces based on Sir W. Scott and at least seventeen Operas, his output contains little of interest or that is performed today save that one simple song from his Opera Clari; the song Home, Sweet Home.

Born in London, Bishop began composing at a very early age and studied under the noted Cremonese composer Francesco Bianchi (1752 - 1810). At the age of only eighteen he wrote the music to the stage work Angelina (1804) and later, fro the ballet Tamerlan et Bajazet. His three act opera, The Circassian Bride (1809) produced at the Drury Lane Theater is the work that first brought Bishop into critical and popular notice. A tragic footnote to history regarding The Circassian Bride is that the night after it's first performance, the theater was destroyed in a fire and Bishop's only score for the work was lost in the fire. So strong was the reception to that one performance though that Bishop's work was acclaimed and in 1810, he was offered the prestigious position of musical director of Covent Garden. During his thirteen year tenure at Covent Garden, he produced many operas including The Lady of the Lake"
Guy Mannering, and The Slave.

In 1813, Bishop founded the Philharmonic Society and acted as conductor for a period of two years during which he produced a number of oratorios and other works. In 1825 he returned to opera and to the rebuilt Drury Lane Theater. In 18309 he was appointed musical director at Vauxhall Gardens and later, in 1840 & 41, he returned to Covent Garden as director.

In 1840, his last dramatic piece, The Fortunate Isles,was produced at Covent Garden in honor of the queen's (Victoria) wedding. No stranger to academia, Bishop also served as professor of music at Edinburgh University from 1841 to 1843 and in 1848 he became professor of music at Oxford. In 1842, he was knighted by Victoria, the first composer to receive this honor.

During his long career, Bishop produced over one hundred and twenty-five operas, operettas, ballets and other musical works. More than two thirds of his output was entirely his own the others being adaptations or collaborations with other composers or librettists. Unfortunately, it seems few if any of these works save Home Sweet Home have survived to be found in the modern repertory.

Bishop died in 1855 and is buried at East Finchley Cemetery (formerly Saint Marylebone Finchley, London, England
(image from http://www.findagrave.com )

Charlotte Blake (Born, May 30th, 1885, Ohio; Died August 21st, 1979, Santa Monica, CA). From around 1903 to 1912 Charlotte Blake was a staff writer for Jerome H. Remick, proprietor of the Whitney Warner Publishing Co., in Detroit, MI. Throughout this period she lived with her family at the home address of Edward C. Blake, who headed up a truly traditional Michigan enterprise: E. C. Blake & Co., "Dealers in Raw and Dressed Furs." In the city directories, Charlotte Blake was simply identified as a "pianist" or "clerk," but in fact she composed over 35 titles for Remick including syncopated pieces, rags, novelettes, waltzes, and songs, several of which received top billing in Remick's advertising campaigns. At first she was referred to as "C. Blake, composer of 'Missouri Mule,' etc." but by 1906 the Remick ads revealed her full name.

For example:

"Dainty Dames" Novelette: This beautiful, little, dainty semi-classic by Charlotte Blake stands out prominently with the very best class of leaders and is played continuously. It is called a Novelette and certainly is novel in every sense of the word, and exceedingly melodious. Especially adapted for Theatre and Concert work and is a most catchy Schottische.

In 1911 Remick published three songs plus an instrumental rag, which
received this amusing review:

With "rags" in general we are at enmity, and we pour out the vials of
our wrath on the ragger who invented rag. But seeing that "rags" are on
the market we must acknowledge them. As a sample of this peculiar kink,
Charlotte Blake's "That Tired Rag'" is as good as any of them.

[American Musician & Art Journal, Mar. 25, 1911, p. 18]

After 1919 Charlotte Blake seems to have abandoned her composing career.
She continued living with her family in the Detroit area at least through the early 1930s and apparently never married. Eventually she moved to Santa Monica, California where she died in 1979 at age 94.

King Cupid (1903); The Missouri Mule March. (1904); Dainty Dames - A Novelette (1905); The Mascot (March) (1905); My Lady Laughter (1905); Love Is King (1906); Could You Read My Heart (1906); A Night, A Girl, A Moon (1907) Curly March and Two Step (1907); Orchids, Novelette Three Step. (1907); Hip Hip Hooray (1907); The Last Kiss (1907); I Wonder If It's You. (1907); Boogie Man, A Creep Mouse Fun (1907); So Near and Yet so Far (1907); Gravel Rag (1908); In Memory of You (1908); It Makes A Lot of Difference When You Are With The Girl You Love. (1909); Poker Rag (1909); The Wish Bone Rag and Two-Step (1909); Yankee Kid (1909); Honey Bug Song (1910); Bridal Veil Waltzes (1910); You're a Classy Lassie (1910); Love Ain't Likin', Likin' Ain't Love (1910); Meet Me Half Way (1910); Miss Coquette (1910); Love's Dream of You (1910); Roses Remind Me of You (1910); The Road to Loveland (1911); I Don't Need the Moonlight to Make Love to You (1911); That Tired Rag (1911); The Harbor of Love (1911); Queen of the Roses (1913); Land of Beautiful Dreams (1913); Rose of the World (1915); Honey When It's Money (1919).

James A. Bland (b. 1854, Queens NY, d. 1911, Philadelphia) was one of America's earliest and more famous Black composers. He was a performer and member of the "all Negro" minstrel group headed by Billy Kersandis. Bland was at one time, the highest paid minstrel man in America, earning over $10,000 in 1880, a huge salary at that time. He became popular in Europe as well and toured Europe and lived in London for twenty years. It is said he lived a lavish life and in spite of his incredible earnings, in 1901, he returned from Europe, penniless and broke, and went back to Washington, DC. Several of his other songs have also been carried down through history as lasting hits including, Oh, Dem Golden Slippers (1879), Hand Me Down My Walking Cane (1880) and De Golden Wedding (1880). In addition to these songs, he wrote well over 700 other songs. Bland was well educated, attending night classes at Howard University and ultimately receiving his law degree from there. He was the first Black man to be appointed examiner in the United States Patent Office. Bland died of tuberculosis on May 6,1911. He was buried in Marion Cemetery near Philadelphia and in spite of his fame and accomplishments there was not even a death notice in the newspaper to mark his passing.

Walter Blaufuss band leader, composer and radio personality and composed the "Breakfast Club Theme" from the Don Mc Neill radio show of the same name that ran on from June 1933 to December of 1968! Before Garrison Keillor and Lake Wobegon, before Oprah, Jay, Rosie, and Dave, there was Don McNeill and his Breakfast Club. Walter Blaufuss was an important part of the show as both the orchestra conductor but also as a regular on the show. In the photo here, Blaufuss is on the right, about to eat a donut handed to him by Annette King while McNeill is in the background.

Blaufuss' most enduring hit is no doubt My Isle Of Golden Dreams (scorch) from 1919 but he is credited with a number of other great hits from the period including; Your Eyes Have Told Me So, 1919 with Egbert Van Alstyne, popularized by John McCormack in the Film, I'll See You In My Dreams and who also recorded Blaufuss' When You're in Love in 1927.

As the NBC Musical Conductor for several years, Blaufuss' orchestra also recorded a number of popular and classical works for major record labels including a 1935 recording of Strauss' Blue Danube on Calumet.

Henry Blossom (b. 1866, St. Louis, MO, d. 1919 New York City) Blossom is best known for his one lasting hit The Streets Of New York ("East side, West side, all around the town.") from the 1906 production The Red Mill, also in collaboration with Victor Herbert. Blossom was primarily a librettist and lyricist in the musical world but his original profession was that of an insurance broker. His Kiss Me Again (Scorch format) was from the show Mlle. Modiste, first staged in 1905. Blossom wrote the libretto (book) for no less than sixteen shows, with his last, The Velvet Lady, staged shortly before his death in 1919. Some of Blossom's works have been performed as recently as 1981.

Carrie Jacobs-Bond suffered many tragedies in her life but managed to overcome them all through courage and determination. Her life is inspirational and her ability to overcome the odds made her one of America's most loved composers. We've featured many of her works on ParlorSongs and still have many more to present. We recommend you spend the time to learn much more about this remarkable woman by visiting our in depth biography of her and our June, 2000 feature on her music. For even more of her songs we've published, use our search page and search for "Carrie Jacobs-Bond."

Otto Bonnell though mentioned often in musical contexts, it is almost always in the context of his writing of this arrangement of Turkey in the Straw. It seems that most of his lasting works were arrangements rather than outright original composition. He arranged The Cat Came Back in 1893 for Harry S. Miller and that same year, Divorced with Charles Moreland. We found at least two songs he wrote that were published. In 1891 Bonnell wrote the music for She's More Than 7 with W.C. Robey's lyrics. In 1892, he wrote The Man In The Moon May Be Looking with John A. Fraser Jr. I've been unable to find any biographical data on Bonnell.

William Boyce (1710 - 1799) Composer of the melody to The Liberty Song, Boyce is best known as one of England's greatest dramatic composers. He was an accomplished organist and studied under a number of luminaries of the period. He was appointed composer to the Chapel Royal and the King in 1736 and the following year was chosen as the composer for the Goucester, Worcester and Hereford choir music festival. In 1758 he became organist at the Chapel Royal. He held a doctorate of music from Cambridge and composed a number of works that are still in the repertoire. Among them are twelve symphonies, a violin concerto and a number of oratorios.

Stanley Carter and Henry Braisted are another pair of "lost" songwriters. Both are credited with a few other songs written together; The Girl I Loved In Sunny Tennessee published in 1899, You're Not The Only Pebble On The Beach (18??), Whisper Your Mother's Name (18??), At The Cost of a Woman's Heart (18??), The Sporty Widow Brown (18??) and The Maiden Didn't Know A Single Thing in 1895.

John W. Bratton, Born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1867, Bratton enjoyed substantial popularity in the 1890's. . Bratton was educated in Wilmington and at the Philadelphia College of Music. Early on, he was a stage performer in both plays and as a singer. His primary musical activity was as a composer and writer of Broadway shows in the early 20th century. many of his published songs had little circulation and popularity beyond the context of hsi shows. Some of his most notable shows were, Hodge Podge and Company (1900), The Liberty Belles (1901), The School Girl (1904), Buster Brown (1908) and The Newlyweds and Their Baby (1909).

Among his most popular songs were, I Love You In The Same Old Way, Darling Sue with lyricist Walter H. Ford in 1896, My Sunbeam From The South, In A Garden Of Faded Flowers, I Talked To God Last Night, In A Pagoda and The Teddy Bear's Picnic. Unfortunately, few of his songs other than the Teddy Bears Picnic have passed into the present as lasting hits. Bratton died in 1947 in Brooklyn, NY.

J. Kiern Brennan ( b. 1873, San Francisco, d. 1948, Hollywood) began his musical career as a vaudevillian singer and turned to writing lyrics. His biggest hit was A Little Bit Of Heaven, Sure They Call It Ireland, written for the stage show The Heart Of Paddy Wack in 1914. The music for that song was by Ernest R. Ball and with that start, the two teamed for a long line of songs that were popular and lasting hits. Though Ball did write some songs on his own and a few with other lyricists, Brennan in generally considered to be Ball's chief lyricist. As a youth, Brennan worked as a cowboy and took part in the Klondike gold rush. He worked as a singer in a number of Chicago publishing houses and also wrote a number of stage show scores including White Lilacs (1928), Boom! Boom! (1929) and Luana (1929). In 1929, he focused his efforts on writing songs for Hollywood.

Ethel Bridges (1879 - 1951) Bridges greatest collaboration was with the lyricist Dorothy Terriss (Theodora Morse)with whom she wrote several other songs; Hawaiian Lullaby (MIDI) (1919); Beautiful Hawaiian Love (1920); Ching a Ling’s Jazz Bazaar, (1920) with Howard Johnson; Whispering and Hawaiian Lullaby, 1919. Among her other works are Soldier's Life (1941) with lyricist Tom Woodburn. With so many best selling works to her credit, you would think that she would rate mention in more than a few reference volumes about American popular music yet I could find no mention of her beyond song titles in the over 30 reference works I have. What a slap in the face!

James Brockman (1886 - 1967) studied music at the Cleveland conservatory and early in his career was a comedian in stage musicals. His most lasting hit, I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles (MIDI) was introduced by June Caprice in the Passing Show of 1918. Among his other hits were, Down Among The Sheltering Palms, Feather Your Nest (Scorch Format) and the great novelty song, I Faw Down An' Go Boom. Brockman had a long and successful career, turning to film scores later in his life. His partner, James Kendis (b. 1883, St. Paul, MN, d. 1946, Jamaica, NY) had some of his greatest success in his collaborations with Brockman. Kendis formed his own publishing company, Kendis Music Company. Some of his other hits not collaborated with Brockman include, If I Had My Way, Angel Eyes, and Come Out Of The Kitchen, Mary Ann.

Lester Brockton was actually a pseudonym for Mayhew Lester Lake (1879 - 1955) who was one of the most prolific arrangers and composers of band music. Lake was born in Southville Massachusetts in 1879. After studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, Lake played violin in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He later became well-known as a conductor, first at the Payret Theater in Havana, Cuba, and then with a number of stage performers, including Sophie Tucker, Al Jolson, and Mae West. After moving to New York, Lake made arrangements for some of American popular music's greatest performers and songwriters including Victor Herbert, George M. Cohan, Percy Grainger, Edwin Franko Goldman, John Philip Sousa, Henry Hadley, and Paul Whiteman.

For thirty-five years, beginning in 1913, Lake was also editor-in-chief of the band and orchestra department at the music publisher Carl Fischer. The manuscripts in this collection were used by Lake's concert band, the Symphony in Gold, which he conducted for NBC radio. Lake's autobiography, Great Guys: Laughs and Gripes of Fifty Years of Show-Music Business was published in 1983. His music is featured on volume 79 of Robert Hoe's Heritage of the March series. Lake published pieces under several pseudonyms including Lester Brockton, Paul DuLac, Charles Edwards, William Lester, Robert Hall, and Alfrey Byers. (Information from the University of Maryland Universities Site, American Bandmasters collection. Lake biography and page written by Patrick Warfield, ABA Project Manager )

Shelton Brooks ( b.1886, Amesburg, Ontario, Canada d. 1975.) A child of Native American and Black parents, Brooks learned his keyboard skills on the family pump organ. His father was a Preacher, and Shelton and his brother would play the organ at services. (Shelton played, and his older brother pumped the Bellows pedals which Shelton couldn't reach.) His family emigrated to Detroit, and the 15 year old Shelton made some appearances as a child prodigy. In time, he became a cafe pianist, and a very famous black performer. He performed as a pianist, playing Ragtime around 1909 and began his composing career with mainly Ragtime numbers.

Shelton wrote his first big hit in 1910, Some of These Days with his own lyrics. He had already introduced the song in his own vaudeville act, when Sophie Tucker's maid, introduced both him and the tune to Sophie. Tucker loved it and she made it her theme song. Brooks also tried his hand at performing is stage roles such as Plantation (1922), Dixie To Broadway (1924), and Ken Murray's Blackouts of 1949. Perhaps Brook's best known hit was his 1917, hit The Darktown Strutter's Ball. Among hos other great songs were Walkin' The Dog, There'll Come A Time and Jean. Brooks enjoyed a long recording career as well. Many of his recordings were comedic for example the Okeah record 4632 carried the titles, Collecting Rents and Chicken Thieves both comedy skits, not songs. Shelton died on On September 6, 1975. (Biographical facts from kinkle V. 2, p. 625)

Arthur A. Brown, the composer was born in 1877 and died in 1954. His best known composition is Glad Light and that is the sum total of information I've been able to find about him.

A. Seymour Brown (b. 1885, Philadelphia - d. 1947, Philadelphia) Brown was an actor and lyricist. In addition to his lyrics for the 1914 work, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, his best known work is Oh You Beautiful Doll (Scorch format) (1911). Brown also wrote lyrics for a number of Broadway productions including; Rufus LeMaire's Affairs (1927), Adrienne (1923) and A Pair of Queens (1916). As an actor he starred in a number of productions including the 1907 musical The Grand Mogul. Among his other songs are Gee, But I Like Music With My Meals with Nat D. Ayer.

Lew Brown (1893 - 1958) wrote lyrics for some of the most popular songs of the 1920s and 1930s as part of the song writing team of De Sylva, Brown, and Henderson including The Best Things in Life are Free, I Used to Love You But It’s All Over Now, Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries, You’re the Cream in My Coffee and Sunny Side Up.

He was born Louis Brownstein in Odessa, Russia on December 10, 1893. His family brought him to America in 1898 at the age of five and he attended De Witt Clinton High School in the Bronx, New York. While still in his teens, he began writing parodies of popular songs of the day, and eventually began writing original lyrics. His first songwriting partner was Albert von Tilzer, an already established composer fifteen years his senior, and in 1912 they had a hit with I'm The Lonesomest Gal In Town. In 1916 the pair had another big hit with If You Were the Only Girl and in the course of the next few years they had a number of successful songs, one of which, Give Me the Moonlight, Give Me the Girl, was revived in the 1950s by the popular British singer Frankie Vaughan.

In 1922, Brown met Ray Henderson, a pianist and composer, and they quickly started writing songs together. Their first hit was Georgette, introduced in the Greenwich Village Follies of 1922. In 1925, Brown and Henderson were joined by lyricist Buddy De Sylva, creating one of the most influential and popular songwriting and publishing teams in Tin Pan Alley.

With De Sylva and Brown collaborating on the lyrics, and Henderson writing the music, the threesome contributed songs to several Broadway shows including such as George White’s Scandals of 1925 and 1926 which featured the songs The Birth of the Blues, "Black Bottom, and Lucky Day. In 1928 the threesomes own Broadway musical, Good News, with a book co-authored by De Sylva, opened in 1927 and ran for 557 performances. Among its hits were The Best Things In Life Are Free, Good News, and Lucky In Love. In 1928, Hold Everything! (book by De Sylva and John McGowan) opened and ran for 413 performances, making a star of Bert Lahr. The songs included You’re the Cream in My Coffee. 1929's Follow Thru, again with a book co-authored by De Sylva, ran for 403 performances and introduced Button Up Your Overcoat and in the 1930 production of Flying High, Brown for the first time joined De Sylva and John McGowan as book writer, as well, of course, as collaborating with De Sylva on the lyrics. Once again Bert Lahr was in the cast, and the show ran for 347 performances.

In 1929, De Sylva, Brown and Henderson sold the publishing firm they had founded in 1925 and moved to Hollywood under contract with Fox studios. Their first film was The Singing Fool, starring Al Jolson, and included the trios hit songs Sonny Boy and It All Depends On You. Say It With Songs, another Jolson film, including the songs Little Pal and Sunny Side Up and Just Imagine (the film version of Follow Thru based on their Broadway hit), were both released in 1930.

In 1931, De Sylva left the team to work with other composers, and Brown and Henderson continued working together producing Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries and The Thrill is Gone (included in George White’s Scandals of 1931).

Brown collaborated with other composers, including Con Conrad, Moe Jaffe, Sidney Clare, Harry Warren, Cliff Friend, Harry Akst, Jay Gorney, Louis Alter, and Harold Arlen. In 1937, with composer Sammy Fain, he wrote one of the enduring classics of the American popular song, That Old Feeling. In 1939, Yokel Boy opened on Broadway with a book by Lew Brown, and lyrics by Lew Brown and Charles Tobias (additionally, Brown produced and directed the show himself). Songs included in this production included Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me and The Beer Barrel Polka (with music by Jaromir Vejvoda).

In 1956, Hollywood produced a biographical film about the legendary threesome of De Sylva, Brown and Henderson, entitled The Best Things in Life Are Free. Lew Brown died two years after the release of the film on February 5, 1958 in New York City. (Biography from the songwriter's Hall of Fame at: http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/ )

Alfred Bryan (b. 1871, Ontario Canda - d. 1958, New Jersey). A prolific and prominent lyricist of early Tin Pan Alley, Bryan collaborated with some of the best composers including Percy Wenrich and Fred Fisher. Bryan's most lasting hit was the classic, Peg O' My Heart (MIDI) from 1913 with Fisher. Some of his other works include Rainbow (1908),and It's A Cute Little Way Of My Own sung in 1917 by the great Anna Held in the show Follow Me.

Ernie Burnett (b. Cincinnati, Ohio 1884 - d. Sarnac Lake, New York, 1959) Like many composers of the era, Burnett spent a few years as a vaudeville performer. He left the United States while still a teenager to get a formal education in music abroad. He studied in Italy, Austria and at the Charlottenburg Conservatory. On his return in 1901 he performed as a pianist in vaudeville. He led his own orchestra and founded his own publishing company. In WWI he served in the 89th division of the AEF. Melancholy appears to be his only song composition of note.

Earl Burtnett (b. 1896, Harrisburg, IL - d. 1936, Chicago) Perhaps best known as a popular band leader in the 20s and 30s, Burtnett also was a pianist in jazz bands, arranged music for Art Hickman and wrote many very popular works, several of which are well known today. Educated at Pennsylvania State College, he arranged music for Art Hickman and his band till 1929 when he took over the band. Their good ensemble sound assured them of play in some of the leading ballrooms in the midwest including the Drake Hotel in Chicago. His many songs include; Canadian Capers (1915), Down Honolulu Way (1916, ) Do You Ever Think Of Me? (1920), Leave Me With a Smile (1921), Mandalay (1924) and 'Leven Thirty Saturday Night (1930). Unfortunately, Burtnett's career was cut short by his untimely death at only age 39.

Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881-1946) A native of Pennsylvania, Cadman was educated in Pittsburgh, where he spent time as a church organist and music critic. In 1904, he began publishing organ pieces and ballads. But it was an interest in American Indian lore than really launched his composing career.

Inspired by the various ethnological inquiries then in vogue in America's ill-fated quest to preserve the dwindling Native American culture, Cadman spent the summer of 1909 collecting and recording Omaha and Winnebago tribal melodies and studying American Indian music. With a Native American princess, the mezzo-soprano Tsianina Redfeather, he toured the country between 1909 and 1916, giving music-talks on Amerindian music.

Any reputation left to Charles Wakefield Cadman is based on a pseudo-Indian song popular in the 1920s, called From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water (Scorch format). In the 1930s, though, he was San Diego's leading musical celebrity. (From an article by Welton Jones in the San Diego Union Tribune and from PBS / WNET.org, reprinted at sandiegohistory.org)

Anne Caldwell (b. Aug 30, 1867 Boston - d. Oct 22, 1936 Beverly Hills ) I add this entry and vent, as I often have about the infuriating loss of information about so many woman composers from America's past. It often seems that we can find information on some of the least significant, sometimes inept male composers while women of prodigeous talent are ignored. None of my references provide any biographical information for Ms. Caldwel,l and what a loss that is for all of us. I do know that she wrote a number of books and lyrics for Hugo Felix and other composers. In fact, her credits include many more works than Felix, as many as twenty-seven productions yet she has been virtually ignored. Among her many credits (having written the book and lyrics and in some cases the music as well!) are; The Top o' th' World, she composed the music for this musical show in 1907, The Nest Egg, an original play(1910), The Lady of the Slipper (1912), Chin Chin (1914), The Lady in Red (1919), Hitchy-Koo (1920), The Magnolia Lady (1924), Take the Air (1927) and Three Cheers (1928). A 1975 (39 years after her death) revival of Very Good Eddie included song lyrics from some of her prior works.

Hughie Cannon, an American composer from Detroit (b. Detroit, 1877 - d. Toledo, OH, 1912) was a pianist for many vaudeville performers. Next to "Bill Baily", his other greatest hit was He Done Me Wrong, written in 1904 for the musical Frankie and Johnny. Cannon also wrote Just Because She Made Dem Goo-Goo Eyes with John Queen in 1900 and I Hates To Get Up Early In The Morning in 1901 also in collaboration with Queen.

Richard Carle ( b. Jul 7, 1871 Somerville, MA, USA - d. Jun 28, 1941 North Hollywood, CA, USA ) Was a prominent producer, writer, lyricist and composer who is best known for his many musicals, musical revues and stage plays. He enjoyed a fairly long and productive career and staged many works from 1899 to 1930. Among his works are; The New Yorkers, 1930; Adrienne, 1923; The Broadway Whirl, 1921; The Cohan Revue of 1916, 1916; Jumping Jupiter, 1911; The Hurdy-Gurdy Girl, 1907 and Children of the Ghetto, his first staged work in 1899.
( Biographical data and play list from the Internet Broadway Database at http://ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=8297 )

Bob Carleton (1896 - 1956) did publish at least three other songs during his career, Struttin' Jim in 1923, Teasin' in 1922 which enjoyed a popularity similar to Ja-Da as a jazz work and was regularly played and recorded by a number of bands of the jazz age, and a late life hit, Where The Blues Were Born In New Orleans in 1947. The latter was introduced by Louis Armstrong and his band in the film New Orleans and also on record. Phil Harris also featured a version on record and radio. I've been unable to find much more on Carleton.

Harry Carroll was born born Nov. 28, 1892, Atlantic City, New Jersey and died 1962, Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. Self taught, Harry was playing piano in movie houses even while he was still in grade school. He graduated high school and went to New York City, where, during the day, he found work as an arranger in Tin Pan Alley, and, during the night, playing in the Garden Cafe on 7th Avenue and 50th Street. In 1912, the Schuberts hired him to supply songs for some of their shows. He collaborated with Arthur Fields on his first hit On the Mississippi, with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald (for the show The Whirl of Society). Among Carroll and MacDonald's best known compositions, are 1913's There's a Girl in the Heart of Maryland (midi), and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (midi), and It Takes a Little Rain With the Sunshine to Make the World Go Round.

In 1914, he wrote By the Beautiful Sea, (Scorch format) with lyric by Harold Atteridge. In 1918, Carroll produced his own Broadway musical Oh, Look!, and the classic I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, (Scorch format) was written with the lyric by Joseph McCarthy. Harry married Anna Wheaton, and the two starred in vaudeville for many years. After the decline of vaudeville, Harry was a 'single' act in various cafes, where he sang his own songs.From 1914 thru 1917, Harry was the director of ASCAP. Carroll is a Songwriters' Hall of Fame member.

Ivan Caryll (b.1861 in Liège, d. 1921, New York City) Felix Tilkins, which was Caryll's real name, had emigrated to England from Belgium in his youth. At first he had known hard times and earned his living by giving music lessons to women in the suburbs; he was so poor that he of ten had to go without a proper meal. Then he sold some numbers to George Edwardes and was put under contract. Though the public knew him as lvan Caryll, everybody in the theatre called him Felix. When conducting he used to sit as near the footlights as possible and watch the artistes like a hawk when they were singing. Though not a big man, great force radiated from him; when he was conducting his big concerted numbers and finales, he would suddenly swing his body right round and appear to sweep the orchestra along with him during the passage.

Caryll prided himself on being one of the best dressed men in town; he was most extravagant and spent money as soon as he earned it. This peacock was in his element driving up to the Gaiety in his Victoria, then hearing the audience's applause as he walked on to the stage and took his bow. He became renowned for his lavish hospitality; he used to entertain his theatrical friends in princely style, was an excellent host and very popular. Geraldine Ulmar, his first wife, has been mentioned as a Gilbert and Sullivan star. (Preceeding biography and photo courtesy of The Gilbert and Sullivan Archive at http://diamond.boisestate.edu/gas , Curator Paul Howarth, used with permission.)

As a composer of light opera and Broadway shows, Caryll was quite productive. From those productions many of his songs became popular. His lifetime works include the songs; Golden Moon (1887), Everything's At Home Except Your Wife (1912), The Boy Guessed Right (1898), Venus Waltz (1912), The Piccaninnies (1898), Thy Mouth is a Rose (1913), The Runaway Girl (1898), Goodbye Girls, I'm Through (1914), Daisy With the Dimple On Her Chin (1901), Love Moon (1914), The Toreador's Song (1901), Oh, This Love! (1914), Coquin de Printemps (1905), Ragtime Temple Bells (1914), Experience (1906), Along came Another Little Girl (1917), Do You Know Mr. Schneider? (1907), Come And Have A Swing With Me (1917), Come Back To Me: Do You Recall? (1909), Follow The Girls Around (1917), By the Saskatchewan (1910), Wait Till The Cows Come Home (1917), My Beautiful Lady (1910), Some Day Waiting Will End (1918), Oh, Rosalie (1910), There's a Light in Your Eyes (1918), The Kiss Waltz (1910), The Girl I Never Met (1920), The Pink Lady (1911) and The Girl Who Keeps Me Guessing (1920)

Grant Clarke ( b. 1891, Akron, OH - d. 1931, California) who was also a major hit lyricist from the period. Clarke wrote material for such greats as Bert Williams and Fanny Brice. He was a publisher and also a staff writer for several NY music publishers. His hits include a number of classics including Am I Blue? and Second Hand Rose.

George Linus Cobb ( b. Mexico, New York on August 31, 1886, d. Brookline, Mass. December 25, 1942) was best known for his Ragtime works such as Russian Rag (Midi) featured in our Ragtime Edition in June, 1999. Educated at Syracuse University, he won a composition contest in Buffalo with the song Buffalo Means Business. He started out writing mostly Rags then moved to NYC and started writing songs in Tin Pan Alley. He went to work for Boston publisher Walter Jacobs and later became editor for Jacob's music magazine The Tuneful Yankee, later changed to Melody. and wrote a monthly column giving advice to would be songwriters. His first published Rag was Rubber Plant Rag, in 1909. That was followed by Canned Corn Rag in 1910 and Bunny Hug Rag in 1913. That same year he collaborated with the great Jack Yellen and wrote the hit song All Aboard For Dixieland. Cobb seemed to find a "zone" with the Dixie songs and wrote several other big hits with Dixie themes including the million seller, Alabama Jubilee in 1913 and a later hit Are You From Dixie? in 1915. The afore mentioned Russian Rag was written in 1918 and it too sold over a million copies and became a perennial vaudeville virtuoso favorite for many years. The song was such a hit that the publisher asked Cobb to write another Rag using the same Rachmaninoff prelude as a basis. Cobb then penned The New Russian Rag. Both Russian Rags are considered masterpieces and are still favorites of skilled pianists the world around.

Will D. Cobb (1876 - 1930) Cobb, a Philadelphia native was educated at Girard College there. He was a department store saleman who wrote song lyrics on the side. One of his earlest works was Goodbye Dolly Gray with Paul Barnes in 1897. His career really took flight when he met Gus Edwards and they began collaborating on songs. their greatest hit is probably School Days (scorch format) in 1906 but they had many other hit songs as a team. Cobb also collaborated with other important composers of the period. Cobb died in New York City in 1930.

George M. Cohan was born in Providence, RI on either the 3rd or 4th of July 1878. Cohan always used the 4th as his birthday and it certainly served him well to do so throughout his career and after as he became our "Yankee Doodle Boy". From boyhood, he toured New England and the Midwest with his parents and sister in an act called The Four Cohans. By 1900, the Cohans were one of the leading acts in vaudeville. He also played the violin, wrote sketches for the family show and started writing songs by age 13. It was during these early years that he adopted the swaggering and brash image that was so well portrayed by Cagney. His first original musical was Little Johnny Jones (1904), which he wrote entirely himself and in which he starred as the lead. It was successful and included the hit Yankee Doodle Boy and Give My Regards To Broadway (Scorch format). In 1906, his reputation was improved more with the productions George Washington Jr., and Forty-five Minutes From Broadway.

Cohan continued to write and star in musical comedies into the 1920's but at the same time had formed a publishing house in collaboration with Sam Harris with whom he also opened a number of playhouses and theaters including the George M. Cohan Theater in New York. Cohan wrote over 500 songs and it is said that Over There (Scorch format) was the most popular morale song for BOTH world wars. Interestingly, Cohan was untrained as a musician and he professed to write only simple songs with simple harmonies and limited ranges. Regardless, his contribution to vaudeville, musical theater and popular music is undeniable and profound. Cohan died in New York on November 5, 1942.

Lincoln Colcord, the lyricist of the University of Maine's Stein Song, (MIDI) may well have the most unique birthpace of any composer from the Tin Pan Alley years. He was born in 1883 at sea off Cape Horn, South Africa. "Captain Lincoln Alden Colcord and his new wife, Jane Sweetser Colcord, departed on a two-year voyage on the bark Charlotte A. Littlefield in June of 1881. The voyage would take them around the world and witness the birth of their daughter Joanna in the South Sea Islands and young Lincoln's arrival during a treacherous winter storm off Cape Horn."( http://home.gwi.net/~tilbury/letters). Lincoln (jr) attended the University of Maine and graduated in 1906. The arranger of the music, A.W. Sprague later joined the U of Maine faculty and chaired the Department of Music. It would appear that the Stein Song was his only foray into songwriting.

Edward W. Corliss should not be as elusive as he seems to be. Having written three Broadway shows and several popular songs, it would seem that the available resources would at least mention him however, none in our library so much as mention his name. However, we have found evidence of a number of songs he published and at least one, written for Brown University's Hocky Team in 1895, Ki-Yi-Yi (To be sung when the hocky team scores.) From that, I assume he attended Brown around that time. Among his other known songs are; The Man Behind The Gun (1899), Rosalie (1901), , Katrina (1902), Psyche (1902, Scorch format) and Life Is Quite Endurable (1908).

Con Conrad (b. 1891, New York City, d. 1938, Van Nuys, CA.) was born Conrad K. Dober and came to Tin Pan Alley by way of vaudeville where he had starred since age 16. His first published song was Down In Dear New Orleans in 1912. He was a partner in a publishing firm, The Broadway Music Corporation, with Henry Waterson (later of Berlin, Waterson & Snider) and by 1918 was associated with other publishers, including Shapiro Bernstein. Conrad's 1920 hit Margie was a resounding hit and established Conrad as a major songwriter of the era. Margie was written for Eddie cantor and the name came from Cantor's five year old daughter. Cantor introduced the song at the Winter Garden and later included it in the 1921 revue, The Midnight Rounders. Conrad wrote a number of other big hits from 1920 through the 30's till his death. Some of his big hits included, Barney Google, 1923 with Billy Rose , Ma! (He's Making Eyes At Me), 1921 and Prisoner of Love in 1931.

Lynn Cowan is yet another of those elusive composers for whom I've been unable to find any substantial biographical information. There was a Lynn Cowan who performed in a number of film musicals as well as silent films from 1924 to 1934 but I've been unable to make a connection to this composer. Cowan is credited with at least three songs I have found; first, his wonderful 1918 work, Kisses (Scorch format) with Alex Sullivan, then in 1928 he published Dream House with lyrics by Earl Foxe and then in 1929, a song for the film The Great Gabbo; I'm In Love With You with lyrics by Paul Titsworth.

Henry Creamer was born in 1879 in Richmond, Virginia. One of America's most prominent African American songwriters and performers, his career spanned the golden age of Tin Pan Alley and he was involved in just about every aspect of the music business. He worked for the music publisher Gotham-Attucks for a while, sang, danced clowned and performed in Vaudeville with his pianist and co-composer, John Turner Layton. He also wrote material for Broadway productions from 1920 to 28. His compositions include That's a Plenty (1909), After You've Gone (1918), Dear Old Southland (1921), 'Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (1922) and If I Could Be With You (1930). Creamer died in New York City October 14, 1930. (Life facts from kinkle, Vol 2, p. 758)

Effie Crockett (pseudonym Effie Canning) (1857 - 1940) About all that any reference on the net has to say about Canning-Crockett is that; "she was an American actress and baby-sitter. She wrote and composed the song "Rock-a-Bye Baby" in 1872." I was about to name her as a one hit wonder but did manage to find a few other songs she wrote that were published by Chas. Blake in Boston. Blake published a folio of her works in 1887 that included; Safely Rocked in Mother's Arms, Don't Tread on the Daisies and Tapping on the Panes.

Joseph M. Daly wrote a number of other works, most of which were songs rather than instrumental rags. Included in his credits are Scented Roses Waltzes 1909, Good Fellowship; March and two-step, 1912, Just for a Dear Little Girl, 1910 and The Chicken Reel from 1910 which gained a certain amount of notoriety in being performed by Garrison Keillor et. al on the Prairie Home Companion in January of 2000. As well as having written many contemporary works, Daly also had his own publishing house and had some distinction in publishing at least one of Joplin's Rags.

Benny Davis (1895 - 1979) Davis was primarily a lyricist having written some of Tin Pan Alley's greatest hits. His earliest start in the music business was at age 14 touring with Benny Fields' Tours as an accompanist to Blossom Seeley. He later focused almost entirely on writing lyrics after writing the smash hit Margie in 1920 with Con Conrad. He collaborated with some of the greatest composers of the era including Milton Ager, J. Russel Robinson, Billy Baskette and Harry Akst. He wrote the lyrics for several Broadway productions including Artists and Models of 1927, Sons o’ Guns and 3 editions of Cotton Club revues. Davis' output was prodigeous and resluted in one of the largest catalogs of credits from that era. Many of Davis' songs were performed in motion pictures and his film credits include older as well as some very recent films including The Cotton Club, The Lady In Red and Son of Mask. His hit songs include; Goodbye Broadway, Hello France (Scorch version) (1917), Margie (Scorch) (1920), Angel Child (1922), Baby Face (1926), I Still Get A Thrill (1930), Chasing Shadows (1935), All I Need Is You (1942) and his last, Follow The Boys (1963). Davis was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.

Gussie Lord Davis, (b Dayton, Ohio, 1863 - d. New York, 1899) one of the late 19th century's first commercially successful African-American songwriters. Davis was probably the first Black man to gain success in Tin Pan Alley. He held a number of jobs before becoming involved with music. At one time he was a Porter on the Railroads, and later was a janitor at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. It was while sweeping the floors at the conservatory, that he managed to pick up bits and pieces of musical knowledge, and was soon writing ballads. The only musical training he gained was from private study provided him by teachers at the Cincinnati Conservatory. His first published work was in 1880, We Sat Beneath The Maple On The Hill. He later became a protégé of songwriter James E. Stewart who helped Davis break into the music publishing world,. In 1890n he moved to New York and soon became one of Tin Pan Alley's top songwriters. In 1895 he won second place in a contest for the ten best songwriters in the USA. He was the first Black songwriter to win international acclaim for his ballads. The New Grove Dictionary Of American Music describes his music as " sweet lyrical melodies in waltz rhythm with heart wrenching texts. Among the over 300 songs Davis published were a number of other popular works including; If I Only Could Blot Out the Past, 1896, My Creole Sue, 1898, My Little Belle Creole, 1900 and another wedding tearjerker, She Waited at the Altar in Vain in 1897. Davis'greatest hit was the 1896 In The Baggage Coach Ahead (also a supreme tear jerker). Supposedly, when Davis was a railroad porter, he found a young child crying. The child's mother was "in the car ahead', in a coffin. A fellow porter, moved by the tale, wrote a poem about it. Years later, Davis set this poem to music, and sold it outright to publisher Howley, Haviland and Dresser for just a few dollars. Howley induced Imogene Comer to use the song in her act, and it brought a small fortune for the publisher, but nothing more for Davis.

Jessie Bartlett Davis unlike many woman performers and composers is well remembered and we have a good biographical sketch thanks to the 1893 book, A Woman of the Century Edited by Frances E. Willard and Mary A. Livermore. In that tract the authors say the following about her. "DAVIS, MRS. JESSIE BARTLETT, prima donna contralto, born near Morris, Grundy County, Ill., in 1860. Her maiden name was Jessie Fremont Bartlett. Her father was a farmer and a country schoolmaster. He possessed a remarkably good bass voice and had a knowledge of music. The family was a large one, and a sister about a year older, named Belle, as well as Jessie, gave early evidence of superior vocal gifts. Their father was very proud of their talents and instructed them as well as he could. Before they were twelve years of age they were noted as vocalists throughout their neighborhood. They appeared frequently in Morris and surrounding villages and cities in concert work, and they soon attracted the attention of traveling managers, one of whom succeeded in securing them for a tour of the western cities to sing in character duets. The older sister was of delicate constitution and died soon after the engagement was made.

Jessie Bartlett then went to Chicago in search of fame and fortune, and was engaged by Caroline Richings, with whom she traveled one season. She was ambitious to perfect herself in her profession, and she soon returned to Chicago and devoted herself to the study of music, and at the same time held a good position in a church choir. During the "Pinafore" craze Manager Haverly persuaded her to become a member of his original Chicago Church Choir Company, and she assumed the role of Buttercup. That was the beginning of her career as an opera singer. Since that time, through her perseverance and indefatigable efforts, aided by her attractive personality, she has steadily progressed in her art, until she is one of leading contralto singers of the United States.

Her histrionic powers are not in the least inferior to her vocal ability. She is one of the best actors among the singers now on the American stage. She made her debut in grand opera in New York City with Adelina Patti and the Mapleson Opera Company. Adelina PATTI sang Marguerite and Jessie Bartlett Davis sang Siebel. Other grand operas in which she won distinction are "The Huguenots," "Martha," "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Il Trovatore," "Dinorah" and others. In comic opera she has probably a more complete repertoire than any other singer now before the public. For the last four years she has been the leading contralto of the Bostonians.

Jessie Bartlett became the wife of William J. Davis, a Chicago theatrical manager, in 1880. Her home is in Chicago, with summer residence in Crown Point, Ind. Mr. Davis owns an extensive stock farm at that place. Her home life is very pleasant, and she divides her time into eight months of singing and four months of enjoying life in her city home or on the farm in Indiana. She is the mother of one son, eight years of age. Besides her musical and histrionic talents, Mrs. DAVIS has decided literary gifts. She is the author of Only a Chorus Girl and other attractive stories and a number of poems. She has composed the music for several songs."

Arthur Deagon, (b. ca. 1873 probably in Ayr, Waterloo, Ontario, died in Boston, 1927) a Canadian actor/singer and a fascinating figure of Canadian and American theatre history. He was the son of Scots-Irish parents Hiram and Elizabeth and used his upbringing to great effect in his career (as an "ethnic" character actor and as a storyteller). In interview, he claimed to have sung in the church choir and studied singing in Rochester, New York, and have worked in the lumber camps and mines of Michigan and as a professional wrestler before launching his career as "The Cowboy Singer" at age 20. From the start he was a highly physical performer (despite his huge size), and a singer of the first order. Newspapers from across the United States and Canada were noticing him as early as 1898. One of his earliest reviews (provenance unknown) called him a new Irish star, "the sweetest of all singing comedians" in a production of Dion O'Dare. Tours were already taking him back and forth across the border including to cities in New Jersey, to Saratoga, New York, and to the Toronto Opera House. He played in vaudeville musicals, comedy and melodramas like The Highwayman (1899), King Dodo (1900), The Belle (1901) and the smash sensation The Time, The Place and the Girl (1907) which toured America and Canada. He recreated his career (c. 1912) as a monologuist, telling stories of his life before and during his career. He appeared in the Ziegfeld Follies productions from 1909 to 1914. In 1913, he toured to Great Britain with Come Over Here. In 1922 he appeared in the George M. Cohan musical Little Nellie Kelly and in the 1924 Arthur Hammerstein production of the Oscar Hammerstein II/Rudolf Friml sensation Rose-Marie which also toured to Great Britain with its so-called "All-American cast" in an all-Canadian story about Mounties. (Deagon biographical information used with permission from the excellent site, The Canadian Theater Encyclopedia )

Reginald De Koven (b. Middletown, CT, 1859 - d. Chicago, IL, 1920) was a prominent composer and with Harry B. Smith(b. 1860, Buffalo, NY, d. 1936, Atlantic City, NJ) as librettist, wrote this operetta as well as a large number of others including Don Quixote in 1889, Robin Hood, 1890, Rob Roy, 1894 and TheHighwaymen, 1897. His most famous song is Oh Promise Me from Robin Hood. De Koven was also the conductor of the Washington,DC Philharmonic orchestra from 1902 -05. Smith also was librettist for the great Victor Herbert and collaborated with a number of other songwriters of the period. He was responsible for a number of hits including the novelty song, A Woman Is Only A Woman, But A Good Cigar Is A Smoke. I'll bet he made a lot of female friends with that winner!

De Koven was musically trained in Europe and was a graduate of Oxford. In 1827 he travelled to Europe and studied piano and composition in Stuttgart. He earned his degree at Oxford in 1879. During his time there he also studied with Von Suppé, Felibes, Genée and Vanuccini, all operatic composers. In 1882 he returned to the US and was employed primarily as a music critic with Harper's Weekly, The New York World, Herald and Journal and the Chicago Evening Post from around 1889 to 1912. He founded and conducted the Washington (DC) Symphony Orchestra in 1902.

At the same time he was writing and conducting, DeKoven was composing well over 400 songs, orchestral works, sonatas, ballets and two grand operas, most of which have faded into obscurity. It is Robin Hood though, his operetta set in Europe that dominated DeKoven's popularity. His music draws on both traditional opera as well as folk melodies. Banking on
the success of Robin Hood, de Koven later produced Rob Roy(1896), The
Highwayman (1897) and Maid Marian in 1901. None of them ever rose to the
popularity of Robin Hood.

John Hopkins Densmore (1880 - 1943) Densmore attended college at Harvard (1904) where he wrote Veritas, "the Harvard football song" which has since been replaced as the primary song by Ten Thousand Men. His commercial songs include April, If God Left Only You and I Know Where A Garden Grows.

George Gard ("Buddy") De Sylva (b. 1895 New York City - d. 1950, Hollywood) Though New York born, De Sylva grew up in California and attended USC. He gained an early interest in show business and tried writing a few songs. He met Al Jolson around 1917 or 18 and Jolson convinced him to go to New York and used several of De Sylva's songs in Sinbad and other shows. Jolson and De Sylva collaborated on many songs over the course of their association. In addition to Jolson's shows, he wrote songs for a number of other productions over the twenties and wrote a number of individual songs that became big hits. In 1925 he teamed with composer Ray Henderson and fellow lyricist Lew Brown to write several show scores into the thirties. In the mid 1930's, De Silva turned to the movies and became a producer and produces several of Shirley Temple's best films. He ultimately rose to head of Paramount Pictures and was an executive with Capitol records.

De Sylva enjoyed a nearly lifelong association with Al Jolson and wrote many of his biuggest hit songs. However, Jolson's hits were only a small part of his famous songs, many of which are still popular today. His many hits include, The Best Things In Life Are Free (1927); Button Up Your Overcoat (1928); You Are My Lucky Star (1928); California Here I Come (1922) and If You Knew Suzie Like I Know Susie (1925). His last song was the 1939 song Love Affair from the movie Wishing.

Charles Dibdin (1745 - 1814) Dibden was a prominent composer and writer born in Dibdin, near Southampton, England. He studied music at Winchester College under Kent and Fussell. He appeared at Richmond and Birmingham as an actor and went to London where in 1765 he was employed by Bickerstaff as a composer and singer. In 1788 renounced the stage and began giving medley monodramas in London. Dibdin, according to his son, wrote over 1300 songs and in addition, wrote the music to accompany his entertainments. Of all his songs, few if any are heard today and only a very few became popularized to the extent that they survived into the early 20th century. Among his most popular works were his musical dramas; The Shepherd's Artifice, Love In The City, Damon and Phillida, and Padlock. His literary works include; Music Epitomized, a school book in which the science of music is explained and a history of the stage in five volumes. In 1803, Dibdin published an autobiography of his professional life which included the lyrics to over 600 of his songs. At the time, Dibdin was recognized as the most sucessful seafaring and folk song composer. His skill was also recognized by the King of England during the American Revolution who commissioned him to write war songs as propaganda for England. Interestingly, some of those songs also found favor in the colonies. See our April, 2004 issue about Music as Propaganda for one example.

John Dickinson (1732 - 1808) is perhaps one of the least likely people you would expect to have been a songwriter. One of America's founding fathers and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence, Dickinson is more remembered for his contributions to the building of our country than as a songwriter. His family were English, having settled in the seventeenth century in Maryland; Dickinson himself was born in Talbot County, on November 8, 1732. He grew up at Poplar Hall, the elegant brick mansion of his father, Judge Samuel Dickinson. His initial education consisted of private tutelage but later his parents sent him to London for a proper education. In London he studied law and returned home to practice law in Philadelphia. It was at this time he became involved in politics and was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly. He distinguished himself in the Assembly, siding with the Proprietary party against the faction led by Benjamin Franklin that sought to turn Pennsylvania from a commonwealth governed by the Penn family to a colony immediately under Royal control. Dickinson, eloquent and stubborn, stood his ground and kept his standing in Philadelphia society.

Later, elected to the Continental Congress, Dickinson proved his skill in drafting declarations in the name of the Congress. One notable one was written with Thomas Jefferson, “Declaration on the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms,” with a conclusion that Americans were “resolved to die freemen rather than live slaves.” When Richard Henry Lee proposed a declaration on independence, Dickinson opposed it, saying the timing was bad. Dickinson suggested the colonies form a confederation amongst themselves before declaring independence from the Crown. While Jefferson, Franklin, John Adams, and others were appointed to a committee to draft a Declaration of Independence, Dickinson, Roger Sherman, and others were put on a committee to draw up Articles of Confederation. The document Dickinson prepared was heavily amended and revised before being accepted by the full Congress.

When the war began, Dickinson enlisted as a private in the Continental Army, having been a colonel in the provincial militia. Dickinson’s company served under General Caesar Rodney, notably at the Battle of Brandywine. In 1781 Dickinson was elected president of Delaware; the next year he resigned that post to be elected president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania. While Dickinson was president of Pennsylvania, his old colleague from the Congress, Benjamin Rush, suggested founding a new college in Cumberland County. Rush approached Dickinson about naming the new college “John and Mary’s College,” in honor of the president and his lady. Dickinson, appalled at the parallel with William and Mary, demurred, saying that the new Republic should avoid allusions to monarchy. Rush won approval for calling the college “Dickinson.”

The 1790s saw Dickinson in retirement, living with his wife and two daughters in a townhouse in Wilmington, Delaware. John Dickinson died February 14, 1808, at his home in Wilmington. President Jefferson expressed his sorrow, and both houses of Congress resolved to wear black armbands in mourning. He was buried in the cemetery of the Friends Meeting House, Wilmington.

Harold Dixon wrote a number of other songs including; Ignorant Mama, Papa's Gonna Educate You (1925) , Fireside Blues (1921), Along The Gypsy Trail. Beyond that, I've been unable to find much more about him. It's possible that after writing that 1925 song, he was abducted and tortured by righteously incensed females.

Walter Donaldson (1893 - 1947)
Born in Brooklyn, New York. was one of the most prolific American popular song writers of the twentieth century. He wrote more than 600 songs in his long career. He composed most of his best during the years between the two World Wars, when he collaborated with many of the best known lyricists of his day (among them Gus Kahn, Edgar Leslie, Bud de Sylva, and Johnny Mercer), but he also wrote many of his own lyrics, such as for At Sundown, Little White Lies, and You're Driving Me Crazy.

Donaldson inherited a certain amount of musical skill as both of his parents were musically inclined. Though he received no formal training in music, he began by writing songs and music for school productions. After graduation from High School, he went to work in a brokerage houseon Wall Street. Soon after, he became a "song plugger" on Tin Pan Alley but was fired for writing songs on company time. His first published song, Back Home In Tennessee, (MIDI) in 1915 was an immediate hit and he published two other hits that same year; You'd Never Know The Old Home-Town of Mine and We'll Have A Jubilee In My Old Kentucky Home.

During the First World War, Donaldson performed as an entertainer at Camp Upton New York and he wrote a number of war related songs including Don't Cry Frenchy (Scorch format) and How Ya Gonna Keep 'Em Down On The Farm (Scorch format). After the war Donaldson joined Irving Berlin's firm and stayed with them for a decade. It was this period that Donaldson wrote his biggest and most lasting hits. His Jolson song, My Mammy set the stage for his rise and then his collaboration with Gus Kahn beginning in 1922 established him (and their team) as one of America's greatest songwriters. Some of the hits they generated during this period were; Carolina In The Morning, My Buddy, Yes Sir, That's My Baby, Makin' Whoopee and My Baby Just Cares For Me. Like many songwriters of the period, as soon as movies began incorporating sound, Donaldson went to Hollywood to produce music for the movies.and he contributed a number of songs to movies including, Follow The Boys and The Great Ziegfeld.

Donaldson also collaborated with a number of other lyricists, a list of which reads like a who's who of American popular music; Billy Rose, Lew Brown, Howard Johnson, Ballard MacDonald and George Whiting with whom he wrote My Blue Heaven. In 1928 Donaldson resigned from the berlin organization and formed his own publishing house (Donaldson, Douglas and Gumble). By 1946, Donaldson was plagued with illness and he withdrew from all activities. He died in Santa Monica, California on July 15, 1947.

Donaldson's music lives on today, over a half century since his passing. Many of his songs have been, and still are recorded and the singers who have recorded his songs include the greatest singers of our times including Frank Sinatra, Fats Domino, George Shearing, Django Reinhardt, Fats Waller, Ella Fitzgerald, Bix Beiderbecke, and Louis Armstrong.

Louis A. Drumheller composed and arranged many popular works during the early 20th century, among them are The Old Oaken Bucket, Nearer My God To Thee (MIDI) and In The Sweet Bye And Bye. We know from his Opus number on this work and others we have that he published well over 100 works and yet very little can be found about him in numerous reference works or the web.