Maceo Pinkard
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Maceo Pinkard (born June 27, 1897 in Bluefield, West Virginia; died July 21, 1962 in New York City) was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher. He is the songwriter who made "Sweet Georgia Brown" a popular standard for decades after its composition, became most popular after the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team began using it as an anthem.
Pinkard was inducted in the National Academy of Popular Music, Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.
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[edit] Biography
Educated at the Bluefield Colored Institute, class of 1913, and wrote his first major song ("I'm Goin' Back Home") one year later. He was one of the greatest composers of the Harlem Renaissance.[1] In his early career he formed his own orchestra and toured throughout the US as the conductor. In 1914, at age 17, Pickard founded the theatrical agency in Omaha, Nebraska and eventually founded Pinkard Publications, a music publishing firm in New York City. In 1917 he formed his own publishing firm, Maceo Pinkard Music, and began selling compositions to national publishing companies such as Frank K. Root in Chicago and Leo Feist in New York. In late 1918 he was hired by the prestigious firm of Shapiro, Bernstein & Company in New York and the following year saw the publication of first big hit, “Mammy O’Mine.”
Nineteen Eighteen saw a flood of music related to the war, Pinkard composed with words and music “Don’t Cry Little Girl, Don’t Cry.” The song is a touching and emotional ballad, as one would expect. The sentiment in the lyrics is universal for lovers who must part.[2]
(Verse 1 - partial)
Why are you looking so sad sweetheart,
Your heart is breaking it seems,
It's mighty hard you and I must part,
We only know what it means,
I long for a smile from you,
Although you are sad and blue.
Don't cry little girl, don't cry,
Don't sigh, little girl, don't sigh,
Remember a smile,
Is always worthwhile,
When one comes to say "goodbye,"
(Verse 2 - partial)
Lift up your eyes and you'll see my dear,
I've saved a smile just for you,
I thought I'd wear it to say "goodbye,"
To one who has been so true,
Remember that tears are vain,
For we two shall meet again.
In 1919, Pinkard moved to New York. His best work was written during the decade 1921-1931. Primarily writing as the composer and lyricist, Pinkard’s catalog includes such hit songs as “Sugar”, “Gimme a Little Kiss, Will Ya Huh?”, “At Twilight”, “Them There Eyes” (1930), later recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939 on the OKeh label. This was one of the songs Holiday sang at the legendary Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958. “Sweet Georgia Brown” a number one Billboard hit in the summer of 1925, “Here Comes the Show Boat” (1927), “Sweet Man”, “I’ll Be a Friend (With Pleasure)”, “Congratulations” (1929), “Is That Religion?”, “Liza” (1922), “Lila”, “There Must Be Somebody Else”, “Okay Baby”, “That Wonderful Boy Friend of Mine”, “Let’s Have a Showdown”, “My Old Man” and “Mammy O’ Mine” (1919).[3]
His famous music composition "Sweet Georgia Brown", lyrics by Kenneth Casey, was recorded by legendary artists Louis Armstrong (1928), Count Basie, The Beatles album Ain't She Sweet (1962), Cab Calloway (1931), Ray Charles (1961), Nat King Cole (1943), Bing Crosby (1927), Ella Fitzgerald (1956), Dizzy Gillespie (1967), Benny Goodman (1956), Harry James (1939), Carmen McRae (1964), Thelonious Monk (1941), Charlie Parker (1947), Oscar Peterson (1945), Cole Porter (1960), Sarah Vaughan (1963), Ethel Waters (1923), just to name a few.[4]
Duke Ellington's introduction to the music industry began with Maceo Pinkard.[5] Shortly after they met at Barron's nightclub, Pinkard took Ellington downtown and introduced him to the music publishing district. This area of Broadway, from 40th to 55th Streets, was known as Tin Pan Alley because of the cacophony of so many pianists playing different pieces of music in different keys. It was there that Ellington had his first meeting at Mills Music with younger brother Irving, who would later become his manager. Ellington recorded some of Pinkard compositions such as, Is That Religion?," "Sweet Georgia Brown", and “Them There Eyes”
[edit] Stage Production
Liza (1922)
Pinkard also wrote and produced the Broadway musical, comedy show Liza (from the book by Irvin C. Miller), which opened November 27, 1922 at Daly's 63rd Street Theatre, New York. Ran for 172 performances (November 27, 1922 - April 21, 1923).[6] Original Cast included Emmett Anthony, Will A. Cook, Thaddius Drayton, Alonzo Fenderson, Doe Doe Green, R. Eddie Greenlee, Snippy Mason, Irvin C. Miller, Quintard Miller, Billy Mills, Packer Ramsey, Maude Russell, Gertrude Saunders, Margaret Simms, William Simms and Elizabeth Terrill.[7] Lyrics and music by Maceo Pinkard: "Tag Day," "Pleasure," "I'm the Sheriff," "Liza," "Just a Barber Shop Cord," "Just a Barber Shop Cord," "That Brownskin Flapper," "On the Moonlit Swanee," "Essence," "Forget Your Troubles, "(I've Got Those) Runnin' Wild Blues," "Dandy," "My Creole Girl," "Planning," "Love Me," and "Don't Be Blue."
Music popularized on disc by Zez Confrey and His Orchestra (Victor 19055), Albert E. Short's and His Tivoli Syncopators (Vocalion 14554), and the new Synco Jazz Band (Perfect 14104).[8]
Category: Musical, Comedy, Original, Broadway
Description: A musical in two acts
Setting: Summer Time in Jimtown, South Carolina
Review:
The Negro hit of the year, with book by Irving C. Miller and music by Maceo Pinkard, opened at Daly's 63rd Street Theater in November. "The dressing rooms, which were built for Shuffle Along," say Eubie Blake, "were completed just in time for Liza." A few months later Liza moved to the Nora Baves Theater on 44th Street, and became the first Negro show to play Broadway proper during the regular season. (Only the summer months had been available for Negro productions heretofore, while the critics wondered why the shows were presented at such a hot time of the year.) Liza ran for 172 performances at a time when a run of one hundred was considered good.[9]
Maceo Pinkard died in New York City on July 21, 1962. Each year, Bluefield State College holds a weeklong festival in honor of its famous alumnus.
In 1999 Grammy nominated album The Love Movement by A Tribe Called Quest, includes a sample of the 1920 Maceo Pinkard composition “Start It Up.”
[edit] Film Scores
Pinkard's compositions as a film score were used in a number of movies, which were compiled from previously written musical compositions. Partial list includes: [10]
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Archer, William R. "Bill". Bluefield, Arcadia Publishing (2000), page 101 - ISBN 0738505986
- ^ Parlor Songs
- ^ Maceo Pinkard: Song List
- ^ All Music: Sweet Georgia Brown
- ^ Lawrence, A. H. Duke Ellington and His World: A Biography Routledge (2001), page 33 - ISBN 041593012X
- ^ Internet Broadway Database
- ^ Stage Production: Liza
- ^ Jasen, David A. A Century of American Popular Music, Routledge (2002), page 121 - ISBN 0415937000
- ^ Stearns, Marshall Winslow. Jazz Dance: The Story of American Vernacular Dance, Da Capo Press (1994), page 143 - ISBN 0306805537
- ^ Filmography: Maceo Pinkard
