Harry Akst
Harry Akst | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 15, 1894 New York City, New York,United States |
| Died | March 31, 1963(aged 68) Hollywood,California,United States |
| Occupation | Songwriter |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Formerly of | Irving Berlin,Sam M. Lewis,Joe Young |
Harry Akst(August 15, 1894 – March 31, 1963)[1]was an Americansongwriter,who started out his career as apianistinvaudevilleaccompanying singers such asNora Bayes,Frank FayandAl Jolson.[2]
Life and career
[edit]Akst was born inNew York,United States.
For four years, he worked for Bayes. Then in 1916, he enlisted in thearmyand was atCamp Uptonwhen he metIrving Berlin(in 1921 they would write "Home Again Blues" ).[3]His most notable success came with the song he wrote in 1925 withSam M. LewisandJoe Young:"Dinah".It would go on to multiple hit recordings byBing Crosby,The Boswell Sisters,Ethel Waters,Fats Waller,Louis Armstrong,TheMills Brothers,Sam Donahue,andTed Lewis.
His movie scores includeBulldog Drummond,The Squall,This Is Heaven,On with the Show,Broadway Babies,The Mississippi Gambler,No, No, Nanette,Song of the West,Song of the Flame,Leathernecking,Palmy Days,The Kid from Spain,Dinah,Professional Sweetheart,Glamour,Stand Up and Cheer!,Change of Heart,The Silver Streak,Paddy O'Day,Star for a Night,Fight for Your Lady,Up the River,Battle of Broadway,Island in the Sky,Harvest Melody,Rosie the RiveterandThis Time for Keeps.[3]
Akst worked on theBroadwayproduction ofArtists and Models(1927), eventually moving toHollywoodto continue songwriting forBroadway musicals.He appeared as the rehearsal pianist, show pit orchestra conductor, and concertmaster "Jerry" in42nd Street(1933). Some of the same footage was used in Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)--Akst can be seen conducting the pit orchestra during the overture which preceded the final production number (All's Fair in Love and War).
Harry Akst died inHollywood,California,on March 31, 1963, at the age of 69,[1][3]and was laid to rest inForest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
He was inducted in theSongwriters Hall of Famein 1983.[1]
Selected songs
[edit]- "Home Again Blues" (1921), withIrving Berlin
- "Stella" (1923), withAl Jolson(1942 version by Del Porter withSpike Jones & His City Slickers)
- "A Smile Will Go A Long Way" (1923), withBenny Davis
- "Dinah"(1925), withSam M. LewisandJoe Young
- "Baby Face"(1926), with Benny Davis
- "Dearest (You're The Nearest To My Heart)", with Benny Davis
- "(I Says To Myself Says I) There's The One For Me" (1929), withJack Yellen(FromBulldog Drummond)
- "My Strongest Weakness is You" (1929), with Sidney Clare (FromSo Long Letty)
- "Am I Blue?"(1929), withGrant Clarke
- "Don't It Mean A Thing" (1929), with Grant Clarke (FromOn with the Show!)
- "Birmingham Bertha" (1929), with Grant Clark (FromOn with the Show!)
- "As Long As I'm With You" (1930), with Grant Clarke (FromNo, No, Nanette)
- "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby" (1931),Eddie Cantorand Benny Davis (FromPalmy Days)
- "Guilty"(1931) withGus KahnandRichard A. Whiting.[4]
- "I'd Rather Be With You" (1935), with Elsa Maxwell and Lew Brown (from Casino de Paree)
- "This Is Love" (1935), with lyrics by Lew Brown (in filmHer First Beau)
- "Everybody Swing" (1936), withSidney Clare
- "Don't Throw Kisses" (1937), with Sidney Clare (ForBig Town Girl)
- "Blue is the Evening" (1938) with Sidney Clare (ForRascals)
- "The Egg and I" (1947) music byHarry Ruby,lyrics byBert Kalmar,Al Jolson, and Harry Akst
- "No Sad Songs For Me" (1950), with Al Jolson
Original works for Broadway
[edit]- Artists and Modelsof 1927 (1927) -revue,co-composed with Maurie Rubens, lyrics by J. Keirn Brennan, Benny Davis,Ted Lewis,and Jack Osterman
- Calling All Stars(1934) - revue, lyrics byLew Brown
Other Broadway credits
[edit]- Ladies First(1918), musical, Music by A. Baldwin Sloane, Book byHarry B. Smith,Lyrics byHarry B. Smithwith additional music byNora Bayes,Seymour Simons,George Gershwin,Harry Clarke and Akst with additional lyrics by Irving Fisher, Simons,Ira Gershwin,Schuyler Greene, and Harry Clarke, also featuring songs by James Brockmann and James Kendl.
- Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic(1920), revue, Book byBallard MacDonald,Music byHarry Carroll,with additional music by Max Hoffmann,Irving Berlin,Akst, andDave Stamper.
- Music Box Revue(1921), revue, Musical Supervisor/Under the Personal Direction of
- Swingin' The Dream(1939), musical/variety, song "Dinah"
- At Home With Ethel Waters(1953), revue, songs "Am I Blue?"and" Dinah "
- John Murray Anderson's Almanac(1953), revue, featuring songs by Harry Akst - Additional
- Mr. Wonderful(1956),
References
[edit]- ^abcThedeadrockstarsclub- accessed November 19, 2011
- ^Laurie, Joe Jr.Vaudeville: From the Honky-tonks to the Palace.New York: Henry Holt, 1953. p. 326, 327.
- ^abc"Harry Akst Biography".Songwriters Hall of Fame. 1963-03-31. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-06-07.Retrieved2011-11-04.
- ^Track 7 on thesoundtrackof the filmAmélie.
External links
[edit]
- 1894 births
- 1963 deaths
- American musical theatre composers
- American male songwriters
- American vaudeville performers
- Songwriters from New York (state)
- United States Army soldiers
- Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
- 20th-century American composers
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 20th-century American songwriters