Irene Higgenbotham
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| Irene Higginbotham | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Born | June 11, 1918 |
| Origin | Worcester, Massachusetts, USA |
| Died | August 27, 1988 (aged 70) New York City, New York, USA |
| Genre(s) | Blues, Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, Pianist |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Years active | 1930s – 1988 |
Irene Higginbotham (born June 11, 1918, in Worcester, Massachusetts, died August 27, 1988 in New York City, New York)[1] was an American songwriter and concert pianist. Famously known for co-writing the Billie Holiday's song "Good Morning Heartache" (1946).[2]
[edit] Biography
While her closest connection in the popular music of the 1930s and 1940s was the great jazz singer Billie Holiday, the prolific songwriter was niece of classic jazz trombonist J.C. Higginbotham, and ex-wife of jazz pianist Teddy Wilson.[3] She was a music student of Kemper Harold and Frederic Hall. She was also a concert pianist at fifteen and joined American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1944.
Her popular-song compositions included:[4]
- "Good Morning Heartache" (1946), recorded by Billie Holiday, and many others
- "No Good Man", recorded by Billie Holiday (1946), and Nina Simone (1961)
- "This Will Make You Laugh", recorded by Nat King Cole Trio in 1941 and in 1993 by daughter Natalie Cole, also Carmen McRae (1955), Marvin Gaye (1978), John Pizzarelli (1992), and Keith Ingham (1998)
- "Are You Livin' Old Man", recorded by Anita O'Day with the Stan Kenton Orchestra (1942), and June Christy with the Stan Kenton Orchestra (1945)
- "It's Mad, Mad, Mad", recorded by Duke Ellington (1947)
- "I Got News for You", recorded by Woody Herman (1948)
- "Mean and Evil Blues", recorded by Dinah Washington (1948)
- "No Sale", recorded by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five (1945)
- "That Did It, Marie", recorded by Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman & His Orchestra (1941)
- "The Bottle's Empty" recorded by Coleman Hawkins (1945)
Also see ASCAP pages for a partial list.[5]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Irene Higginbotham, The Black Perspective in Music, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Autumn, 1988), p. 247
- ^ ASCAP: "Good Morning Heartache"
- ^ Irene Higginbotham bio
- ^ Songs Composed by Irene Higginbotham
- ^ ASCAP: Songs Composed by Irene Higginbotham
