Buddy Feyne

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Buddy Feyne

Buddy Feyne (1912 - 1998) was a composer and lyricist of the Swing Era.

He penned the lyrics for "Tuxedo Junction" and "The Jersey Bounce" - both of which were top of the Hit Parade and both are standards. These songs and many others have been recorded by artists as diverse as Glenn Miller, Joe Williams, The Manhattan Transfer, Ella Fitzgerald, Gene Autry, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, The Andrews Sisters, Frankie Avalon, Joe Jackson, George Benson and Boz Scaggs.

He was born Bernard Feinstein in New York City, the youngest son of immigrants Solomon and Sarah Feinstein. His older brother, Irving, befriended Milton Berle, who advised Bernard that a Jewish name would prevent him from succeeding in the music business, and summarily changed his name to Buddy Feyne.

Buddy with his mother, Sarah, June 9, 1913

Feyne worked out of the Brill Building in New York City, writing songs for Lewis Music Publishers, one of the few companies which published "Race music", the term for songs created by black artists. In 1939 Erskine Hawkins and his band introduced "Tuxedo Junction" at the Savoy Ballroom, in New York, which was an immediate hit.

When it was decided to add words to the music, the publisher asked several different lyricists to propose words for the tune. Feyne met Hawkins and asked what the name referred to. It was named for a whistle stop spot on the "Chitlin Circuit" in Alabama. When he learned the meaning of the song, the lyrics came easily, and his were selected. The song was recorded by Glenn Miller, the Andrews Sisters, Jan Savitt and other orchestras. Later it became the theme song of The Manhattan Transfer, who met Buddy in 1978. Buddy played the original piano solo for them from the Miller Band and they changed their arrangement to match the original. They maintained a close friendship for the last twenty years of Feyne's life.

Feyne continued to write lyrics for black composers such as Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson, Dud Bascomb, Bobby Plater, Tiny Bradshaw and Edward Johnson. "Dolimite" by the Hawkins band on the Bluebird label was recorded by Jimmy Dorsey for Decca (1940). Feyne became a member of the American Society of Composers and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1940. He used the nom de plume "Robert B. Wright" when he penned the lyrics for "After Hours", a haunting blues piece composed by Avery Parrish. "Jersey Bounce" followed soon after. He wrote with many other composers, sang on the radio, and was a writer-producer of the series "Rhythm School of the Air."

Buddy, in uniform - top left - with his 3 brothers

When he was drafted in World War II, he served in the Pacific in the 77th Infantry Division and was awarded the Bronze Star. As his regiment was too far for the USO to reach he also wrote, conducted and performed in Army shows in the Philippines. After the war, he collaborated on several musicals with Harry Revel, Bill Harrington and Bill Baker; wrote and produced for television; and composed "Time for Fun", an album of children's songs. In 1954, Feyne collaborated with Maurice Shapiro on "Why", recorded by Nat "King" Cole and Karen Chandler.

Feyne continued writing through the 80's. In the 60's he teamed with Denny McReynolds, writing a series of swing ballads. He also wrote with Joe Williams, who recorded their song "Everybody Wants to be Loved" and performed it on the Joey Bishop Show. Next he teamed with Bill Baker, writing numerous songs, albums, scoring films, "Diary of a Stewardess" and "Dead End Dolls" and they also show "Up Your Alley". In addition to songs, he also wrote special material for The Ed Sullivan Tribute at the Lambs Club. Producer Harry Delmar worked with Buddy on producing "Up Your Alley".

Over his life, Feyne wrote more than 400 songs. Co-writers included Milton Berle, Harry Revel, Bill Harrington, Raymond Scott, Stan Worth, Al Sherman, Ken Carson, Bill Baker, Joe Williams, Al Sherman and Peter Tinturin. His songs are recorded by myriad artists and also appear in films.

Artists who recorded Feyne's songs include: Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Erskine Hawkins, Gene Autry, Henry Mancini, Red Norvo, Bob Crosby, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, BBC Dance Band, Kay Kyser, Ozzie Nelson, Teddy Powell, Alvino Rey, Joe Williams, The King Sisters, Gene Krupa, Frankie Avalon, Tuxedo Junction, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Jackson, LA Jazz Choir, The Manhattan Transfer and Nat King Cole.