Harry P. Guy | |
---|---|
Born | July 17, 1870 |
Died | September 16, 1950 |
Era | Ragtime |
Harry P. Guy (July 17, 1870 – September 16, 1950) was an American ragtime composer.
Guy was born in Zanesville, Ohio, where he wrote his first compositions. [1] He then moved to New York, where he studied under Victor Herbert and started his career writing musical arrangements. [2] He later moved to Detroit in 1895, where he worked first for Whitney-Warner and then Willard Bryant, writing songs for many famous artists of the era. [3] [4] He also composed arrangements for the University of Michigan and University of Detroit. [2] His 1898 song, Echos from the Snowball Club, has become a ragtime classic. [3]
Later in life, Guy fell into obscurity, living alone and in poverty until he died on September 16, 1950. [2] He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit in an unmarked grave. His burial place was eventually recognized in 2003 when a group of local enthusiasts and citizens held a ceremony and placed a commemorative marker. [3]
Source: [5]