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Buddy DeSylva

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Buddy DeSylva
Birth nameGeorge Gard DeSylva
Also known asBuddy De Sylva, Buddy DeSylva, Bud De Sylva, Buddy G. DeSylva, B.G. DeSylva
Born(1895-01-27)January 27, 1895
New York City,U.S.
DiedJuly 11, 1950(1950-07-11)(aged 55)
Los Angeles,California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Songwriter,film producer,record executive
Formerly ofLew Brown,Ray Henderson
Song written by Buddy DeSylva

George Gard"Buddy"DeSylva(January 27, 1895 – July 11, 1950)[1]was an Americansongwriter,film producerandrecord executive.He wrote or co-wrote many popular songs, and along withJohnny MercerandGlenn Wallichs,he co-foundedCapitol Records.

Biography

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DeSylva was born inNew York City,[1]but grew up inCalifornia,[1]and attended theUniversity of Southern California,where he joined theTheta Xi Fraternity.

HisPortuguese-bornfather, Aloysius J. De Sylva, was better known to American audiences as actor Hal De Forrest.[2]His father was also a lawyer as well as an actor.[3]His mother, Georgetta Miles Gard, was the daughter ofLos Angelespolice chiefGeorge E. Gard.

DeSylva's first successful songs were those used byAl JolsononBroadwayin the 1918 production ofSinbad,which included "I'll Say She Does". Soon thereafter, he met Jolson and in 1918 the pair went to New York and DeSylva began working as a songwriter inTin Pan Alley.[1]

In the early 1920s, DeSylva frequently worked with composerGeorge Gershwin.[4]Together, they created theexperimentalone-actjazzoperaBlue Mondayset inHarlem,which is widely regarded as a forerunner toPorgy and Bessten years later.[citation needed]

In April 1924, DeSylva married Marie Wallace, aZiegfeld Folliesdancer.[citation needed]

In 1925, DeSylva became one third of the songwriting team with lyricistLew Brownand composerRay Henderson,one of the topTin Pan Alleysongwritersof the era.[5]The team was responsible for the song "Magnolia" (1927) which was popularized byLou Gold's orchestra.[6]The writing and publishing partnership continued until 1930, producing a string ofhitsand the perennialBroadwayfavoriteGood News.[7]

DeSylva joinedASCAPin 1920 and served on the ASCAPboard of directorsbetween 1922 and 1930. He became a producer ofstageandscreen musicals.[1]DeSylva relocated toHollywoodand was contracted toFox Studios.[1]

During this tenure, he produced movies such asThe Little Colonel,The Littlest Rebel,Captain January,Poor Little Rich GirlandStowaway.[1]In 1941, he became theExecutive ProduceratParamount Pictures,a position he would hold until 1944. At Paramount, he was also an uncredited executive producer forDouble Indemnity,For Whom the Bell Tolls,The Story of Dr. WassellandThe Glass Key.Betty Huttonalways credited DeSylva for bringing her to Hollywood and launching her film career.[8]

The Paramount all-star extravaganzaStar Spangled Rhythm,which takes place at the Paramount film studio in Hollywood, features a fictionalmovie executivenamed "B.G. DeSoto" (played byWalter Abel) who is aparodyof DeSylva.

In 1942,Johnny Mercer,Glenn Wallichsand DeSylva together foundedCapitol Records.[1]He also founded theCowboy label.

He is sometimes credited as: Buddy De Sylva, Buddy DeSylva, Bud De Sylva, Buddy G. DeSylva and B.G. DeSylva.

Buddy DeSylva died in Hollywood, aged 55, and is buried atGlendale'sForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Individual songs

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  • Desylva, Buddy, B. G. De Sylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson.Seven Veils.26 March 1927[9]
  • Desylva, Buddy, B. G. De Sylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson.Good News: vocal selection.[Place of publication not identified]: Chappell, n.d.OCLC495863850
  • Henderson, Ray, B. G. De Sylva, and Bud Green. "Alabamy Bound". New York: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co, 1925.OCLC645628000
  • De Sylva, B. G., Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson. "Magnolia". 1927.OCLC918927178
  • "Avalon"
  • "April Showers"
  • "The Best Things in Life Are Free"
  • "The Birth of the Blues"
  • "Button Up Your Overcoat"
  • "California, Here I Come"
  • "If You Knew Susie"
  • "It All Depends on You"
  • "Look for the Silver Lining"
  • "Somebody Loves Me"
  • "Sonny Boy"
  • "The Varsity Drag"
  • "You're the Cream in My Coffee"

Broadway credits

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Selected filmography

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The 1956HollywoodfilmThe Best Things in Life Are Free,starringGordon MacRae,Dan Dailey, andErnest Borgnine,depicted the De Sylva, Brown and Henderson collaboration.[10]

References

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  1. ^abcdefghColin Larkin,ed. (1992).The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music(First ed.).Guinness Publishing.pp. 655/6.ISBN0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^"Composers-Lyricists Database, Biography: Buddy DeSylva".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-02-28.Retrieved2008-01-10.
  3. ^Tin Pan Alleyp. 107
  4. ^Furia, Philip (1990).The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: a History of America's Great Lyricists.Oxford University Press. p. 88.ISBN0195064089.
  5. ^Furia, Philip (1990).The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: a History of America's Great Lyricists.Oxford University Press. p. 87.ISBN0195064089.
  6. ^Jasen, David A. (2003).Tin Pan Alley An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of Song.Routledge. p. 109.ISBN0415938775.
  7. ^Furia, Philip (1990).The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: a History of America's Great Lyricists.Oxford University Press. p. 94.ISBN0195064089.
  8. ^Kendall, Mary Claire."Betty Hutton's Miraculous Recovery".Forbes.com.
  9. ^"Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series".23 August 1954. p. 67.Retrieved23 August2021– via Google Books.
  10. ^Jasen, David A. (2003).Tin Pan Alley An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of Song.Routledge. p. 110.ISBN0415938775.

Further reading

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  • Ewen, David (1970).Great Men of American Popular SongASIN: B000OKLHXU
  • Green, Stanley (1984).The World Of Musical Comedy.Publisher: Da Capo Press.ISBN0-306-80207-4
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