Milton Ager

Milton Ager
Background information
Born	(1893-10-06)October 6, 1893 Chicago,Illinois, U.S.
Died	May 6, 1979(1979-05-06)(aged 85) Inglewood, California
Genres	Popular music
Occupation(s)	Composer, lyricist
Instrument(s)	Piano

Milton Ager(October 6, 1893 – May 6, 1979) was an American composer, regarded as one of the top songwriters of the 1920s and 1930s.His most lasting compositions include "Ain't She Sweet”and “Happy Days Are Here Again”.

Biography

Ager was born toJewishcouple Fannie Nathan and Simon Ager, who worked as alivestockdealer.inChicago,Illinois, the sixth of nine children. He taught himself to play the piano, and attendedMcKinley High School,but left after only three years and embarked on a career in music.

He worked as asong pluggerformusic publishersWaterson, Berlin & Snyderin Chicago, and also accompanied touring singerGene Greeneand provided accompaniment tosilent movies.He moved to New York City in 1914, as anarrangerfor the publishing firm, and began composing music in association withPete Wendling.After some time in theUS Army's Morale Divisionin Fort Greenleaf, Georgia, he returned to work in 1918 and wrote his first hit song, "Everything is Peaches Down in Georgia" with lyricistGrant Clarke,forAl Jolson.He then started working with lyricistJack Yellen,and they wrote together for the 1920BroadwayshowWhat's in a Name,featuring the song "A Young Man's Fancy". He continued to have success over the next few years with the songs "I'm Nobody's Baby" (1921, written withBenny Davisand Lester Santly), and "Who Cares?" (1922, written with Yellen).

In 1922, Ager and Yellen co-founded the publishing company ofAger, Yellen and Bornstein.He composed many hit songs over the next decade, many with lyrics by Yellen, including “The Last of the Red Hot Mamas!”, "Lovin' Sam (The Sheik of Alabam')” (1922), “Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)”(1924), "Ain't She Sweet”(1927), and “Happy Days Are Here Again”(1929). In 1930, he moved toHollywood,and contributed to such films asChasing RainbowsandKing of Jazz(both 1930). Together with "A Bench in the Park", "Happy Days Are Here Again" was included in the latter film, and was adopted byFranklin D. Rooseveltin his1932 presidential electioncampaign. AfterWarner Brothersbought the firm of Ager, Yellen and Bornstein, Ager continued to write lyrics successfully in Hollywood for several years, his later successes including "Auf Wiedersehen My Dear" (1932) and "Trust in Me" (1937). He effectively retired in the 1940s.

Ager was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Famein 1979. He died inInglewood, California,in the same year, aged 85,and was interred in theWestwood Village Memorial Park Cemeteryin Los Angeles.

In 2007, a revue of Ager's music calledVampin' Ladyopened inNew Hope,Pennsylvania, performed by singer Joyce Moody under the direction ofEarl Wentzand transferred to New York City as part of theAmerican Composer Series.

Family

Ager's wife was columnistCecelia Ager.He was the father of columnistShana Alexander.His niece,Joy Eden Harrison,a singer-songwriter with three albums to her credit, claims his work has been influential on her own musical career.

Songs

Among the best known Milton Ager songs are:

• "Rockaway Hunt Fox Trot" (1915)
• "Erin Is Calling" (1916)
• "Tom, Dick and Harry and Jack (Hurry Back)"(1917)
• "Everything is Peaches Down in Georgia" (1918), WithGeorge W. Meyer
• "France We Have Not Forgotten You" (1918)
• "Anything is Nice" (1919)
• "Freckles" (1919)
• "There's a Lot of Blue-Eyed Marys Down in Maryland" (1919)
• "A Young Man's Fancy" (1920)
• "I'm Nobody's Baby" (1920), his first big hit
• "Lovin' Sam" (1920)
• "Who Cares?" (1920)
• "Stay Away From Louisville Lou" (1923) [also known as "Louisville Lou (That Vampin' Lady)"
• "Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)"(1924)
• "I Wonder What's Become of Sally" (1924)
• "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)"(1924)
• "I Certainly Could" (1926)
• "Hard-To-Get Gertie" (1926)
• "Ain't She Sweet"(1927)
• "Vo-Do-De-O" (1927)
• "I Still Love You" (1928)
• "If You Don't Love Me" (1928)
• "Oh Baby" (1928)
• "Glad Rag Doll"(1928)
• "Happy Days Are Here Again"(1929)
• "I May Be Wrong" (1929)
• "Happy Feet" (1930) – a notable version is by Canadian children's entertainerFred Penner
• "Some Day We'll Meet Again" (1932)
• ”If I Didn’t Care” (1934)
• "Trust in Me"(1937)
• "I Keep Coming Back for More" (1938)
• "Keep 'em Smiling" (1942)

Works for Broadway include:

• What's in a Name?(1920) –musical– composer
• Rain or Shine(1928) – musical – co-composer
• Murray Anderson's Almanac(1929) –revue– co-composer

Further reading

• Jaques Cattell Press:ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors and Publishers.4th ed. R. R. Bowker, New York 1980
• Stanley Sadie,H. Wiley Hitchcock(eds.):The New Grove Dictionary of American Music.Grove's Dictionaries of Music, New York 1986
• Colin Larkin:The Encyclopedia of Popular Music.3rd ed. Macmillan, New York 1998

External links

• Milton AgeratIMDb
• "Milton Ager Collection, 1918–1979",Library of Congress
• "Milton Ager recordings",Discography of American Historical Recordings