Harry Akst (August 15, 1894 – March 31, 1963)
- accessed November 19, 2011 was an American

songwriter A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...

, who started out his career as a

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

accompanying singers such as

Nora Bayes Nora Bayes (born Rachel Eleonora "Dora" Goldberg; October 3, 1880March 19, 1928) was an American singer and vaudeville performer who was popular internationally between the 1900s and 1920s. She is credited with co-writing the song " Shine On, Har ...

, Frank Fay and

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

Life and career

Akst was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. For four years, he worked for Bayes. Then in 1916, he enlisted in the

army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and was at

Camp Upton Camp Upton was a port of embarkation of the United States Army during World War I. During World War II, it was used as an Army induction center, an internment camp for enemy aliens, and a hospital. It was located in Yaphank, New York, in Suffo ...

when he met

Irving Berlin Irving Berlin (born Israel Isidore Beilin; May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born American composer and songwriter. His music forms a large part of the Great American Songbook. Berlin received numerous honors including an Acade ...

(in 1921 they would write "Home Again Blues"). His most notable success came with the song he wrote in 1925 with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young: "

Dinah In the Book of Genesis, Dinah (; ) was the seventh child and only named daughter of Leah and Jacob. The episode of her rape by Shechem, son of a Canaanite or Hivite prince, and the subsequent revenge of her brothers Simeon and Levi, commonly ...

". It would go on to multiple hit recordings by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

The Boswell Sisters The Boswell Sisters were an American close harmony singing trio of the jazz and swing eras, consisting of three sisters: Martha Boswell (June 9, 1905 – July 2, 1958), Connie Boswell (later spelled "Connee", December 3, 1907 – October 11 ...

Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977) was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her no ...

Fats Waller Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, and singer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz piano. A widely popular star ...

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

, The

Mills Brothers The Mills Brothers, sometimes billed The Four Mills Brothers and originally known as Four Boys and a Guitar, were an American jazz and traditional pop vocal quartet who made more than 2,000 recordings that sold more than 50 million copies and g ...

Sam Donahue Samuel Koontz Donahue (March 18, 1918 – March 22, 1974) was an American jazz saxophonist, trumpeter, and musical arranger. He performed with Gene Krupa, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Billy May, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton. Biography Donahue ...

, and Ted Lewis. His movie scores include '' Bulldog Drummond'', '' The Squall'', '' This Is Heaven'', '' On with the Show'', '' Broadway Babies'', '' The Mississippi Gambler'', '' No, No, Nanette'', '' Song of the West'', '' Song of the Flame'', '' Leathernecking'', '' Palmy Days'', '' The Kid from Spain'', Dinah, '' Professional Sweetheart'', Glamour, '' Stand Up and Cheer!'', '' Change of Heart'', '' The Silver Streak'', '' Paddy O'Day'', '' Star for a Night'', '' Fight for Your Lady'', ''

Up the River ''Up the River'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, and starring Claire Luce, Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. The plot concerns escaped convicts, as well as a female convict. It was the feature film debut role o ...

'', '' Battle of Broadway'', '' Island in the Sky'', '' Harvest Melody'', ''

Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter is an allegorical cultural icon in the United States who represents the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely n ...

'' and '' This Time for Keeps''. Akst worked on the Broadway production of ''Artists and Models'' (1927), eventually moving to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

to continue songwriting for Broadway musicals. He appeared as the rehearsal pianist, show pit orchestra conductor, and concertmaster "Jerry" in '' 42nd Street'' (1933). Some of the same footage was used in Gold Diggers of 1937 (1936)--Akst can be seen conducting the pit orchestra during the overture which preceded the final production number (All's Fair in Love and War). Harry Akst died in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, on March 31, 1963, at the age of 68, and was laid to rest in

Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Forest Lawn Memorial Park – Hollywood Hills is one of the six Forest Lawn cemeteries in Southern California, United States. It is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles. History The first Fo ...

. He was inducted in the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...

in 1983.

Selected songs

*"Home Again Blues" (1921), with

*"Stella" (1923), with

(1942 version by Del Porter with Spike Jones & His City Slickers) *"A Smile Will Go A Long Way" (1923), with

Benny Davis Benny Davis (August 21, 1895 - December 20, 1979) was a vaudeville performer and writer of popular songs. Biography Davis started performing in vaudeville in his teens. He began writing songs when working as an accompanist for Blossom Seeley. In ...

" (1925), with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young *" Baby Face" (1926), with Benny Davis *"Dearest (You're The Nearest To My Heart)", with Benny Davis *"(I Says To Myself Says I) There's The One For Me" (1929), with

Jack Yellen Jack Selig Yellen (Jacek Jeleń; July 6, 1892 – April 17, 1991) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He is best remembered for writing the lyrics to the songs "Happy Days Are Here Again", which was used by Franklin Roosevelt as the theme ...

(From Bulldog Drummond) *"My Strongest Weakness is You" (1929), with Sidney Clare (From So Long Letty) *" Am I Blue?" (1929), with

Grant Clarke Grant Clarke (May 14, 1891, Akron, Ohio – May 16, 1931, California) was an American songwriter. Clarke moved to New York City early in his career, where he worked as an actor and a staff writer for comedians. He began working on Tin Pan Alley, ...

*"Don't It Mean A Thing" (1929), with Grant Clarke (From On with the Show!) *"Birmingham Bertha" (1929), with Grant Clark (From On with the Show!) *"As Long As I'm With You" (1930), with Grant Clarke (From No, No, Nanette) *"There's Nothing Too Good For My Baby" (1931),

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

and Benny Davis (From Palmy Days) *" Guilty" (1931) with

Gus Kahn Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886October 8, 1941) was an American lyricist who contributed a number of songs to the Great American Songbook, including " Pretty Baby", " Ain't We Got Fun?", " Carolina in the Morning", " Toot, Toot, Tootsie (G ...

and Richard A. Whiting.Track 7 on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

of the film ''

Amélie ''Amélie'' (, , ) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre. It tells the story ...

''. *"I'd Rather Be With You" (1935), with Elsa Maxwell and Lew Brown (from Casino de Paree) *"This Is Love" (1935), with lyrics by Lew Brown (in film Her First Beau) *"Everybody Swing" (1936), with

Sidney Clare Sidney Clare (August 15, 1892 – August 29, 1972) was an American comedian, dancer and composer. His best-known songs include " On the Good Ship Lollipop" (introduced by Shirley Temple), " You're My Thrill" (recorded by Billie Holiday), and " P ...

*"Don't Throw Kisses" (1937), with Sidney Clare (For

Big Town Girl ''Big Town Girl'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Alfred L. Werker and written by Lou Breslow, Robert Ellis (actor, born 1892), Robert Ellis, Helen Logan and John Patrick. The film stars Claire Trevor, Donald Woods (actor), Donald Woods ...

) *"Blue is the Evening" (1938) with Sidney Clare (For Rascals) *"The Egg and I" (1947) music by

Harry Ruby Harry Rubenstein (January 27, 1895 – February 23, 1974), known professionally as Harry Ruby, was an American pianist, composer, songwriter and screenwriter, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Bert Kalmar Bert Kalmar (February 10, 1884 – September 18, 1947) was an American songwriter. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. He was also a screenwriter. Biography Kalmar, a native of New York City, left school at an early age an ...

, Al Jolson, and Harry Akst *"No Sad Songs For Me" (1950), with Al Jolson

Original works for Broadway

*''Artists and Models'' of 1927 (1927) -

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

, co-composed with Maurie Rubens, lyrics by J. Keirn Brennan, Benny Davis, Ted Lewis, and Jack Osterman *'' Calling All Stars'' (1934) - revue, lyrics by

Lew Brown Lew Brown (born Louis Brownstein; December 10, 1893 – February 5, 1958) was a lyricist for popular songs in the United States. During World War I and the Roaring Twenties, he wrote lyrics for several of the top Tin Pan Alley composers, espec ...

Other Broadway credits

*''Ladies First'' (1918), musical, Music by A. Baldwin Sloane, Book by Harry B. Smith, Lyrics by Harry B. Smith with additional music by

, Seymour Simons,

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned jazz, popular music, popular and classical music. Among his best-known works are the songs "Swan ...

, Harry Clarke and Akst with additional lyrics by Irving Fisher, Simons,

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the ...

, Schuyler Greene, and Harry Clarke, also featuring songs by James Brockmann and James Kendl. *''Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic'' (1920), revue, Book by

Ballard MacDonald Ballard MacDonald (October 15, 1882 – November 17, 1935) was an American lyricist, who was one of the writers of Tin Pan Alley. Born in Portland, Oregon, he was a charter member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers ...

, Music by Harry Carroll, with additional music by Max Hoffmann,

, Akst, and Dave Stamper. *'' Music Box Revue'' (1921), revue, Musical Supervisor/Under the Personal Direction of *''Swingin' The Dream'' (1939), musical/variety, song "

" *''At Home With Ethel Waters'' (1953), revue, songs " Am I Blue?" and "Dinah" *'' John Murray Anderson's Almanac'' (1953), revue, featuring songs by Harry Akst - Additional *'' Mr. Wonderful'' (1956),

References

External links

* *
Harry Akst recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database catalog of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The 78rpm era was the time period in which any flat disc records were being played at ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Akst, Harry 1894 births 1963 deaths American musical theatre composers American male musical theatre composers American male songwriters American vaudeville performers Songwriters from New York (state) United States Army soldiers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American songwriters