John Walter Bratton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Walter Bratton (January 21, 1867 - February 7, 1947) was an American composer and theatrical producer.
Brought up by his Grandmother in New Castle, Delaware, near Wilmington, Bratton studied at the Philadelphia College before embarking on a career as a baritone singer. Bratton progressed into acting in and producing musical comedies, ultimately composing for the stage.
He wrote over 250 songs, teaming up, for many, with lyricists Walter H Ford and Paul West. He is best remembered for his 1907 composition "Teddy Bears' Picnic" the only one of his songs to be a lasting hit. Although most of his compositions had lyrics, he left Teddy Bears'Picnic as an instrumental. Perhaps because it sold so well as sheet music he never felt the need to do anything else with it, except feature it in some of silent movie hits of the twenties.
Some 25 years later, lyricist Jimmy Kennedy (then relatively unknown) was working in London's Tin Pan Alley employed by Music Publisher Bert Feldman and was asked by his boss to write words to the instrumental for a pantomime. Henry Hall of the BBC Dance Orchestra became aware that the instrumental now had lyrics and he broadcast the song in the kiddies' section of his popular radio show the very next day before it had been officially published.
The publisher's office was deluged with requests for sheet music which did not exist. Kennedy was almost sacked and was punished by Bert Feldman by having his royalties withheld for the rest of Feldman's life...some 15 years or so. It was obvious from the listeners' reaction that this would be a hit and Henry Hall recorded it. The rest, they say, is history. This explains why this American composition has British lyrics..note "Mummies and Daddies" not as is often misquoted "Mommies and Daddies"
Bratton died in Brooklyn, New York, aged 80.
[edit] Musical theater credits
- 1900 Hodge, Podge & Co.
- 1904 The Man From China
- 1905 The Pearl and the Pumpkin
- 1909 The Newlyweds and Their Baby
His songs were featured in many other musical comedies including The Rainmakers 1894, Star & Garter 1900, The Office Boy 1903, The Toreador 1904, The Rollicking Girl 1905, The Merry-Go-Round 1908
