Edgar Leslie (December 31, 1885 – January 22, 1976) was an American songwriter.
Edgar Leslie | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 31, 1885 Stamford, Connecticut, United States |
| Died | January 22, 1976 (aged 90) |
| Education | Cooper Union |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, lyricist |
| Years active | 1909-c.late 1950s |
| Awards | Songwriters Hall of Fame (1972) |
Biography
editEdgar Leslie was born in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1885.[1] He studied at the Cooper Union in New York. He published his first song in 1909, starting a long prolific career as a composer and lyricist. He died in 1976.[1]
Musical career
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Leslie's first song, "Lonesome" (1909), was an immediate success, recorded by the Haydn Quartet and again by Byron G. Harlan. Other notable artists recorded his early works. Among them were Nat M. Wills, Julian Rose, Belle Baker, Lew Dockstader, James Barton and Joe Welch.[2]
A founding member of ASCAP in 1914. In 1927, he traveled to England and collaborated with Horatio Nicholls on several songs, most notably "Among My Souvenirs".[1] Leslie served as its director from 1931 to 1941 and from 1947 to 1953. His most enduring success of the era was probably 1935's "Moon Over Miami".[1] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.[3]
Leslie's best-known songs include "Among My Souvenirs", "Come On Papa", "For Me And My Gal", "Getting Some Fun Out of Life", "Hello, Hawaii, How Are You?", "Girls of France", and "Moon Over Miami".[4]
Selected works
edit- 1913 "He'd Have to Get Under – Get Out and Get Under (to Fix Up His Automobile)" (m: Maurice Abrahams)
- 1915 "America, I Love You" (m: Archie Gottler)[5]
- 1915 "Cheer Up, Better Times Will Soon Be Here" with Joe Young[5]
- 1915 "Hello, Hawaii, How Are You?" with Jean Schwartz and Bert Kalmar
- 1916 "Are You Prepared for the Summer" with Bert Kalmar (m: Jean Schwartz)[5]
- 1916 "Letter That Never Reached Home, The" (m: Archie Gottler)[5]
- 1917 "The Dixie Volunteers" with Harry Ruby[5]
- 1917 "Girls of America (We All Depend on You)" with Bert Kalmar (m: Harry Ruby)[5]
- 1917 "I've Got a Red Cross Rosie Going Across with Me" with Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby[5]
- 1917 "Let's All Be Americans Now" with Irving Berlin & Geo. W. Meyer[5]
- 1917 "For Me And My Gal" with George W. Meyer and E. Ray Goetz
- 1918 "American Beauty" with Albert Bryan (m: M. K. Jerome)[5]
- 1918 "Big Chief Killahun" with Alfred Bryan (m: Maurice Abrahams)[5]
- 1918 "Girl He Left Behind Him Has the Hardest Fight of All, The" with Al Brayan (m: Harry Ruby)[5]
- 1918 "Girls of France" with Alfred Bryan & Harry Ruby[5]
- 1919 "Come on Papa" with Harry Ruby[5]
- 1919 "Come on and Play Wiz Me (My Sweet Babee)" with Bert Kalmar (m: Harry Ruby)[5]
- 1919 "Down the Lane and Home Again" with Bert Kalmar (m: M. K. Jerome)[5]
- 1921 "Dirty Hands, Dirty Face" with Grant Clarke, Al Jolson (m: James V. Monaco)[6]
- 1927 "Among My Souvenirs" (m: Horatio Nicholls)
- 1935 "Moon Over Miami" (m: Joe Burke)
- 1936 "Midnight Blue"[1]
- 1936 "In a Little Gypsy Tearoom"[1]
- 1936 "Were You Foolin?"[1]
See also
edit- Halsey K. Mohr, composer who often worked with Edgar Leslie
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Edgar Leslie | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
- ^ Tin Pan Alley: an encyclopedia of the golden age of American song by David A. Jasen, (New York: Routledge, 2003.) p. 248-249
- ^ Edgar Leslie biography. songwritershalloffame.org. Retrieved: April 29, 2013.
- ^ Edgar Leslie song catalog. Archived 2016-03-10 at the Wayback Machine songwritershalloffame.org. Retrieved: April 29, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music - Volume 1. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 28, 32, 39, 52, 74, 84, 103, 115, 176, 180, 321, 363, 369. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7.
- ^ David Ewen (1987). American Songwriters: An H.W. Wilson Biographical Dictionary. H.W. Wilson. p. 287. ISBN 978-0-8242-0744-1.
External links
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- Songwriters Hall of Fame - Edgar Leslie
- Edgar Leslie bio at Parlor Songs
- Edgar Leslie at Allmusic.
- Edgar Leslie at the Sheet Music Consortium.
- Edgar Leslie in July 15, 1967 edition of Billboard.
- Edgar Leslie recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
Streaming audio
- Edgar Leslie on Victor Records.
- Edgar Leslie on Edison Records.
- Edgar Leslie at the Internet Archive