American songwriter
Musical artist
Harry Akst (August 15, 1894 – March 31, 1963)
[1] was an American
songwriter, who started out his career as a
pianist in
vaudeville accompanying singers such as
Nora Bayes,
Frank Fay and
Al Jolson.
[2]
Life and career
Akst was born in
New York,
United States.
For four years, he worked for Bayes. Then in 1916, he enlisted in the
army and was at
Camp Upton when he met
Irving Berlin (in 1921 they would write "Home Again Blues").
[3] His most notable success came with the song he wrote in 1925 with
Sam M. Lewis and
Joe Young: "
Dinah". It would go on to multiple hit recordings by
Bing Crosby,
The Boswell Sisters,
Ethel Waters,
Fats Waller,
Louis Armstrong, The
Mills Brothers,
Sam Donahue, and
Ted Lewis.
His movie scores include
Bulldog 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 Riveter and
This Time for Keeps.
[3]
Akst worked on the
Broadway production of Artists and Models (1927), eventually moving to
Hollywood to continue songwriting for
Broadway musicals. He appeared as the rehearsal pianist, show pit orchestra conductor, and concertmaster "Jerry" in
42nd 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 in
Hollywood,
California, on March 31, 1963, at the age of 69,
[1]
[3] and was laid to rest in
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
He was inducted in the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983.
[1]
Selected songs
- "Home Again Blues" (1921), with
Irving Berlin
- "Stella" (1923), with
Al Jolson (1942 version by Del Porter with
Spike Jones & His City Slickers)
- "A Smile Will Go A Long Way" (1923), with
Benny Davis
- "
Dinah" (1925), with
Sam M. Lewis and
Joe 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), with
Jack Yellen (From
Bulldog Drummond)
- "My Strongest Weakness is You" (1929), with Sidney Clare (From
So Long Letty)
- "
Am I Blue?" (1929), with
Grant Clarke
- "Don't It Mean A Thing" (1929), with Grant Clarke (From
On with the Show!)
- "Birmingham Bertha" (1929), with Grant Clark (From
On with the Show!)
- "As Long As I'm With You" (1930), with Grant Clarke (From
No, No, Nanette)
- "There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby" (1931),
Eddie Cantor and Benny Davis (From
Palmy Days)
- "
Guilty" (1931) with
Gus Kahn and
Richard 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 film
Her First Beau)
- "Everybody Swing" (1936), with
Sidney Clare
- "Don't Throw Kisses" (1937), with Sidney Clare (For
Big Town Girl)
- "Blue is the Evening" (1938) with Sidney Clare (For
Rascals)
- "The Egg and I" (1947) music by
Harry Ruby, lyrics by
Bert Kalmar, Al Jolson, and Harry Akst
- "No Sad Songs For Me" (1950), with Al Jolson
Original works for Broadway
Other Broadway credits
- Ladies First (1918), musical, Music by A. Baldwin Sloane, Book by
Harry B. Smith, Lyrics by
Harry B. Smith with additional music by
Nora 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 by
Ballard MacDonald, Music by
Harry Carroll, with additional music by Max Hoffmann,
Irving Berlin, Akst, and
Dave 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
External links
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