Alberta Nichols (December 3, 1898 – February 4, 1957) was a popular songwriter of the 1930s and 1940s. Together with her husband, lyricist Mann Holiner, they composed over 100 songs, of which their most famous were "

Until the Real Thing Comes Along "(It Will Have to Do) Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is a popular song first published in 1936. Background In 1931, Alberta Nichols wrote the music and Mann Holiner wrote the words for a song titled "Till the Real Thing Comes Along" which was ...

" and "A Love Like Ours".

Biography

Nichols was born in

Lincoln, Illinois Lincoln is a city in Logan County, Illinois, United States. First settled in the 1830s, it is the only town in the U.S. that was named for Abraham Lincoln before he became President of the United States, president; he practiced law there from 18 ...

, on December 3, 1898 and studied piano at the Louisville Conservatory with George Copeland and Alfred Calzin. Her career spanned writing for vaudeville, radio, musical theater and the movies. In 1931, Nichols and Holiner collaborated with

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

Saul Chaplin Saul Chaplin (February 19, 1912 – November 15, 1997) was an American composer and musical director. He was born Saul Kaplan in Brooklyn, New York. He had worked on stage, screen and television since the days of Tin Pan Alley. In film, he won ...

and L.E. Freeman for the Broadway show, ''Rhapsody in Black''. The group of five also co-wrote "

Alec Wilder Alexander Lafayette Chew Wilder (February 16, 1907 – December 24, 1980) was an American composer and author. Biography Wilder was born in Rochester, New York, United States, to a prominent family; the Wilder Building downtown (at the "Four ...

, in ''American Popular Song'', speculated that Nichols was the composer of the melody. Among the many singers who performed the song over the years,

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

recorded the song in 1942. Holiday was a close friend of the Nichols-Holiners. Nichols and Holiner wrote the music for several Broadway shows, including '' Blackbirds of 1933'', and '' Angela'', which starred

Jeanette MacDonald Jeanette Anna MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was an American soprano and actress best remembered for her musical films of the 1930s with Maurice Chevalier (''The Love Parade'', ''Love Me Tonight'', ''The Merry Widow (1934 film) ...

. Collaborating with Cahn, Chapin and Freeman, the Nichols-Holiners team wrote the music for the film, ''Rhapsody in Black''. "A Love Like Ours" considered by Virginia Grattan to be one of the best songs of the duo, was in the film '' Two Girls and a Sailor'' starring

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American actor and dancer. He had a prolific career in film, television, theatre and radio, which spanned over 50 years, from 1940 to 1992. He was a major star at Metr ...

and

June Allyson June Allyson (born Eleanor Geisman; October 7, 1917 – July 8, 2006) was an American stage, film, and television actress. Allyson began her career in 1937 as a dancer in short subject films and on Broadway in 1938. She signed with MGM in 1943 ...

. Other songs from the Nichols-Holiner team were: "There Never Was a Town like Paris," "Sing a Little Tune," "You Can't Stop Me from Loving You," and "Why Shouldn't It Happen to Us?" (the latter published in 1945, and recorded by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

). Alberta Nichols died in Hollywood on February 4, 1957, at the age of 58.

Music

Songs * "A Love Like Ours" (''Two Girls and a Sailor'') *"Until the Real Thing Comes Along" *"There Never Was a Town like Paris" *"Sing a Little Tune" *"You Can't Stop Me from Loving You" *"Why Shouldn't It Happen to Us?" *"I'm Walkin' The Chalk Line" *" Your Mother's Son-In-Law" *"I Just Couldn't Take it Baby" *"Sing a Little Tune" *"I Can't Believe its True" (''Angela'') *"Maybe So" (''Angela'') *"The Regal Romp" (''Angela'') Broadway shows that featured Nichols' music *''Gay Paree'' (1926) *''Angela'' *''Luckee Girl'' *''Rhapdsody in Black'' (1931) Movies that featured Nichols' music *''Blackbirds of 1934'' (1934) *'' Two Girls and a Sailor'' (1944)

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Riverwalk Jazz Notes: A Woman's Touch: America's Unsung Women Composers

Alberta Nichols biographical website with references, song lists, etc.

Molly Ruggles singing and accompanying herself playing "Until the Real Thing Comes Along"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Alberta 1898 births 1957 deaths People from Lincoln, Illinois Songwriters from Illinois 20th-century American composers 20th-century American women composers 20th-century American songwriters