Carrie Jacobs-Bond

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Carrie Minetta Jacobs-Bond (August 11, 1862 – December 28, 1946) was an American singer and songwriter who composed many pieces of popular sheet music during from the 1890s through the early 1940s. She is probably best remembered for writing the song I Love You Truly, for which she became the first woman to sell one million copies of a song.[1] That parlor song continues to be used at weddings over a century after its release.[1]Her song which experienced the highest number of sales immediately after release was "A Perfect Day" in 1910.[2] Jacobs-Bond was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

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[edit] Personal life

She was born 'Carrie Minetta Jacobs' in Janesville, Wisconsin to Dr. Hannibal Jacobs and his wife, Emma Davis Jacobs. Carrie Minetta Jacobs was born in her grandparent’s (Davis) home at the corner of Pleasant St. (Now Court St.) and Oakhill Ave. Her father died while she was a child, and the family faced financial difficulties without him. During her short-lived first marriage to Edward Smith, her son Fred was born (1882 - 1928). This marriage unhappily ended in divorce in 1887. Her second marriage to childhood sweetheart Dr. Frank Lewis Bond of Johnstown in 1888. They lived in Iron River, Michigan where she was a housewife with a son and supplemented the family income with painted ceramics, piano lessons and her musical compositions.[1] The economy of the iron mining area collapsed and the family doctor had no money.[1] Dr. Bond was struck by a child's snowball. He fell on the ice and died five days later from crushed ribs. She was left with debts and a $4,000 life insurance. She returned Janesville. Selling ceramics, renting out a room, and writing songs didn't earn her enough money to pay her bills, so she slowly sold off her furniture and ate only once per day.[3]

After her writing career began having success, she found it difficult to succeed in Janesville, so she and her son moved to Chicago.[1] Soon, she found that people enjoyed her simple and lyrical music and she began her own sheet music publishing company. Her music was extremely sentimental, which was extremely popular at that time.[1] In the early 1920s, she and her son moved to Hollywood, California to ease the pains of her rheumatism, where she continued performing and publishing. Bond died in her Hollywood, California home of a heart attack. She is buried in the "Court of Honor" at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

She also published books of children's poetry, an autobiography and did the artwork for her sheet music cover pages. The wild rose was her trademark artwork and it appears on many of her publications. She is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles in the court of Honor. Former President of the United States, Herbert Hoover, wrote in her epitaph: “Beloved composer of ‘I Love You Truly’ . . . and a hundred other heart songs that express the loves and longings, sadness and gladness of all people everywhere . . . who met widowhood conquered hardship, and achieved fame by composing and singing her simple romantic melodies. She was America’s gallant lady of song.” The Los Angeles City Council honored her as “. . .one of America’s greatest women.”

[edit] Music career

Jacobs-Bond had studied the piano with area teachers while a child. A man named Blind Tom toured the United States. He instantly memorized any song that was played to him and played it back. After he completed his part of the program, young Jacobs-Bond was prodded to go to the piano. She awed the crowd by playing back Blind Tom's song.[1]. She began writing music in the late 1880s when encouraged by her husband to "put down on paper some of the songs that were continually running through my mind."[4] After her return from Iron River, Michigan and the death of her second husband, Dr. Frank Lewis Bond in December of 1895, she took up residence at 402 E. Milwaukee St. Janesville, WI. It was while living here that she wrote the song I Love You Truly.

A young female singer lived across the hall from Jacobs-Bond had to leave unexpectedly, so she asked Jacobs-Bond to entertain her manager and another man. When the two men arrived, Jacobs-Bond asked the men to come into her apartment. The manager, named Victor P. Sincere, saw some of her manuscripts lying around and asked if she had written them. After Jacobs-Bond said yes, Sincere asked her to perform a song, so she immediately started playing "I Love You Truly". He asked if she would like to have the song performed in public, and she answered "no" because she had not copyrighted the song. Someone would be able to steal the song. Jacobs-Bond had second thoughts, so she went to the telephone at the corner drugstore and called Jessie Bartlett Davis, even though they had never met. Jacobs Bond hoping that Bartlett David would make the song popular like she had for "Oh, Promise Me" in 1898. Bartlett Davis volunteered to pay for the cost to publish Seven Songs: as Unpretentious as the Wild Rose.[3]

After moving to Chicago, Jacobs-Bond slowly drew a following after singing her songs in small recitals in local homes. She published her first collection with the help of Boston Opera Company star Jessie Bartlett Davis. Seven Songs: as Unpretentious as the Wild Rose was released in 1901 which included two of her most enduring songs, "I Love You Truly" and "Just a-Wearyin' for You." The success of this song book allowed her to create her own publishing company, known as the Bond Shop, which she opened with her son, Frederic in her apartment in Janesville.[1]

Within a few years time, Jacobs-Bond performed for Theodore Roosevelt, gave a recital in England (with Enrico Caruso) and a series of recitals in New York City.

In 1910 she published her most popular song of all, "A Perfect Day." 25 million copies of the sheet music were sold.[1]

Jacobs-Bond was the most successful woman composer of her day, by some reports earning more than one million dollars in royalties from her music.[5]

[edit] Published works

[edit] Sheet music

  • Almost Impossible
  • The Angelus
  • At Morning, Noon and Night
  • A Bad Dream
  • Because I Am Your Friend
  • Because of the Light
  • Betty's Music Box.
  • The Bird Song
  • Birds
  • The Blue Flag
  • But I Have You
  • California
  • Chimney Swallows
  • Come, Mr. Dream-maker, 1897
  • Compensation
  • Consolation
  • A Cottage In God's Garden
  • The Crimson-Breasted Bird
  • Cupid's Home
  • The Dark Lament
  • The Dear Auf Wiedersehn
  • De Las' Long Res', 1901
  • Des Hold My Hands Tonight, 1901
  • Do You Remember, 1915
  • The Elopment
  • The End of a Perfect Day
  • Evening, My Love and You.
  • First Ask Yourself
  • The Flying Flag
  • The Forget Me Not
  • The Free Concert
  • The Gate of Tears
  • God Remembers When the World Forgets, 1913
  • Going to Church with Mother
  • The Golden Key
  • The Good Folk
  • Good Night
  • Got to Practice, 1917
  • The Hand of You.
  • Happy Lil Sal
  • Have You Seen My Kitty?
  • His Buttons Are Marked 'U.S.', 1902
  • His Lullaby
  • Hollyhocks
  • Homeland
  • A Hundred Years from Now, 1914
  • Hush-a-by
  • I Love You Truly, 1901 & 1906
  • I was Dreaming... Maybe
  • If I Could Hear Your Voice Again
  • I'm the Captain of the Broom Stick Cavalry, 1890
  • In a Foreign Land
  • In Dear Hawaii, 1908
  • In My Garden
  • In the Meadow, 1925
  • Is My Molly Dead?, 1895
  • Is Yo'? Yo' Is, 1905
  • I've Done My Work, 1920
  • Jesus Is Calling
  • June and December
  • Just A-Wearyin' For You, 1901
  • Just by Laughing
  • Just Lonesome
  • Keep Awake
  • Know and Find
  • Lazy River
  • Life's Garden.
  • The Lily and the Rose
  • Linger Not
  • A Little Bit O'Honey, 1917
  • The Little House
  • Little Lost Youth of Me.
  • A Little Pink Rose, 1912
  • A Little Shoe
  • Lively Hour
  • Long Time Ago
  • Longing
  • Look Up
  • Love and Sorrow
  • Lovely Hour
  • Love's Sacred Trust
  • The Lure
  • May I Print a Kiss?
  • Memories of Versailles Waltz
  • A Memory
  • Men and Women
  • Morning and Evening
  • Mother Mine
  • Mother's Cradle Song, 1895
  • Mother's Three Ages of Man
  • Movin' in de Bes' Soci'ty.
  • My Dear
  • My Garden of Memory
  • My Son!
  • My Soul
  • The Naughty Little Girl
  • Nothin' but Love!
  • Nothing but a Wild Rose
  • Now and Then
  • O Haunting Memory.
  • O Time Take Me Back, 1916
  • Old Friends of Mine
  • Out in the Fields
  • Over Hills and Fields of Daisies
  • The Pansy and the Forget-Me-Not
  • Parting, 1901
  • A Perfect Day, 1910
  • Play Make Believe
  • Please
  • Remember to Forget
  • Robin Adair
  • Roses Are In Bloom
  • The Sandman, 1912
  • Shadows, 1901
  • A Sleepy Song
  • Smile a Little
  • Someone I Love is Coming
  • A Song of the Hills
  • The Soul of You
  • Still Unexprest', 1901
  • Stop and Sing
  • A Study in Symbols
  • Sunshine (Po Li'l Lamb)
  • Ten Thousand Time
  • There Is a Way
  • Through the Mists
  • Through the Years, 1918
  • Time Make All but Love the Past
  • Tis Summer in Thine Eyes
  • To-Day.
  • To My Valentine, 1926
  • To the Savior Called
  • To the Victor (March)
  • To Understand
  • Trouble
  • Two Lovers
  • Tzigani Dances
  • Until Death
  • Until God's Day
  • A Vision
  • Walking in Her Garden
  • Waltz of the Wild Flowers
  • The Way of the World
  • We Are All Americans, 1918
  • Were I
  • When Church is Out
  • When do I Want You Most?
  • When God Puts Out the Light
  • When I am Dead, My Dearest
  • When I Bid the World Goodnight
  • When My Ships Come to Me
  • When You're Sad
  • When Youth's Eternal
  • Who is True?
  • Why
  • Write to Me Often, Dear, 1896
  • Your Song

[edit] Song books

  • Eleven Songs, 1897
    • Mother's Cradle Song
    • Write to Me Often, Dear
    • Come, Mr. Dream-Maker
    • The Pansy and the Forget Me Not
    • Who is True
    • June and December
    • Someone I Love Is Coming
    • Through the Mists
    • Until Death
  • Four Songs, 1899
    • A Little Shoe
    • Have You Seen My Kitty?
    • The Bird Song
    • When My Ships Come Home
  • Seven Songs: as unpretentious as the **Wild Rose, 1901
    • De Las' Long Res'
    • Des Hold My Hands Tonight
    • I Love You Truly
    • Just A-wearying for You
    • Parting
    • Still Unexpresst
  • Two Songs, 1902
    1. May I Print a Kiss
    2. Two Lovers
  • Twelve Songs, 1902
    • A Bad Dream
    • I Was Dreaming... Maybe
    • Linger Not
    • Love's Sacred Trust
    • Mother's Three Ages of Man
    • Over Hills and Fields of Daisies
    • The Dear Auf Wiedersehn
    • Time Make All But Love the Past
    • When I Am Dead, My Dearest
    • When I Bid the World Goodnight
  • Three Songs, 1904
    • Nothing But a Wild Rose
    • The Angelus
    • Walking in Her Garden
  • Ten Songs, 1905
    • In a Foreign Land
    • Just By Laughing
    • Men and Women
    • My Dearest Dear
    • When Do I Want You Most?
    • Where to Build Your Castles
  • Two Songs, 1907
    1. Happy Lil Sal
    2. Trouble
  • Half Minute Songs or Miniature Songs, 1910
    1. Making the Best of It
    2. First Ask Yourself
    3. To Understand
    4. Doan' Yo' Lis'n
    5. How to Find Success
    6. The Pleasure of Giving
    7. Answer the First Rap
    8. A Good Exercise
    9. A Present From Yourself
    10. Now and Then
    11. When They Say the Unkind Things
    12. Keep Awake
  • The Smile Songs, 1910
    • Know and Find
    • Look Up
    • Mother Mine
    • Please
    • Robin Adair
    • Smile a Little
    • Stop and Sing
    • The Good Folk
    • The Way of the World
    • There Is a Way
    • Why
    • Almost Impossible
  • Little Kitchen Songs and Stories, 1911
  • Thirty Songs: Songs Everybody Sings, about 1927

[edit] Autobiography

Jacobs-Bond, Carrie. The Roads of Melody, 1927. (ISBN 0-405-12825-8)

[edit] Poetry

The End of the Road
Tales of Little Dogs (1921)

[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Janesville. Wisconsin Public Television. WPNE. 2008-01-17. 0:45 minutes in.
  2. ^ In Search Of Carrie Jacobs-Bond
  3. ^ a b [Wallechinsky, David; Irving Wallace (1981). The People's Almanac. 
  4. ^ In Search Of Carrie Jacobs-Bond
  5. ^ [1][dead link]

[edit] External links