Herman Hupfeld

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Herman Hupfeld (February 1, 1894–June 8, 1951) was an American songwriter. His most notable composition was "As Time Goes By" (from the film Casablanca but this song was written in 1931 for the Broadway show "Everybody's Welcome", which ran for 139 performances)^[1].

Hupfeld never wrote a whole Broadway score, but he became known as a composer who could write a song to fit a specific scene within a Broadway show.

His best known songs include "Sing Something Simple", "Let's Put Out The Lights (And Go To Sleep)", "When Yuba Plays The Rhumba On The Tuba", "Are You Making Any Money?", "Savage Serenade", "Down the Old Back Road", "A Hut in Hoboken", "Night Owl", "Honey Ma Love", "Baby's Blue", "Untitled" and "The Calinda".

While not known as a public performer, Hupfeld was featured on a Victor Young & His Orchestra 78rpm recorded on January 22, 1932. He sang and played piano on two of his compositions; "Goopy Geer (He Plays Piano And He Plays By Ear)" and "Down The Old Back Road" (Brunswick 6251).

According to Roger D. Kinkle in his excellent "The Complete Encyclopedia of Popular Music and Jazz 1900-1950" (Arlington House, 1974), Hupfeld studied violin in Germany at 9. He was in the Military during World War I, and he entertained camps and hospitals during World War II.

Hupfeld never married and with few exceptions, stayed in his home town of Monclair, NJ for his entire life.

Hupfeld was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery, in Montclair, New Jersey.

[edit] References

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Internet Broadway Database[1]