Seymour Furth
Seymour Furth (1876, New York City − May 22, 1932, Boston) was an American songwriter, composer, and librettist active from the late 1890s until his death in 1932.[1] He wrote popular songs for Broadway musicals, vaudeville, tin pan alley, and minstrel shows; notably creating the opening musical number for the first Ziegfeld Follies in 1907. He most frequently worked as a composer with another collaborator serving as his lyricist, but sometimes he created both music and lyrics, and at other times just words with other composers.[2] He composed piano works in popular styles of his day, including ragtime. His best known songs were comedic, including "Nothing Like That in Our Family" (1906) and "No Wedding Bells For Me" (1907).[1][2]
Life and career
A native of New York City, Furth was born in 1876.[2] He attended grammar school at P. S. 86 on the hill at Lexington Avenue and 96th Street in New York City from which he graduated in 1892.[3] He began his career writing songs for vaudeville and minstrel shows in the late 1890s; often with a humorous character.[2] In 1906 vaudeville entertainer William F. Denny recorded his song "Nothing Like That in Our Family" for Edison Records.[4] He published two ragtime compositions for piano, That Spanish Rag and Pinochle Rag (1911, Joseph Morris publisher).[5] Also in 1907, Furth co-authored the song "No Wedding Bells For Me" Other Broadway musicals which Furth contributed music and/or lyrics to included The Wizard of Oz (1902), The Rollicking Girl (1905), Patsy in Politics (1907), Nearly a Hero (1908), The Mimic World (1908), The Girl and the Wizard (1909), Ziegfeld Follies of 1915, and Bringing Up Father (1925).[2] He composed the music to the World War I song “When the "Yanks" Come Marching Home”.[6] This song is included in the collection at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library.[7] Furth died of a heart attack on May 22, 1932 at the Commonwealth Hotel in Boston, his home for several years, at the age of 55.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Seymour Furth: Writer of Popular Songs and Librettos for 25 Years". The New York Times. 23 May 1932. p. 15.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Roger D. Kinkle (1974). "Seymour Furth". The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz. Arlington House. p. 2316.
- ↑ "Seventy Graduates: Commencement Day at Grammar School No. 86". The New York Times. 22 June 1892. p. 9.
- ↑ Frank Hoffmann, B Lee Cooper, Tim Gracyk (2012). Popular American Recording Pioneers: 1895-1925. Taylor & Francis. p. 94.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ David A. Jasen (2007). Ragtime: An Encyclopedia, Discography, and Sheetography. Routledge. p. 486, 522. ISBN 9780415978620.
- ↑ Don Tyler (2016). Music of the First World War. ABC-Clio. p. 58. ISBN 9781440839979.
- ↑ When the "Yanks" come marching home. OCLC 20119933. Retrieved 25 February 2016 – via OCLC WorldCat.