J. Will Callahan (March 17, 1874 – November 15, 1946) was an American lyricist. He was also partially blind.
He wrote lyrics for songs including "
Gasoline
Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
" (1913), "Smiles" (used in ''
The Passing Show of 1918''), and more notoriously to modern ears, the 1917 song "
Ching Chong
''Ching chong'', ''ching chang chong'', and ''chung ching'' are ethnic slurs used to mock or imitate the Chinese language, people of Chinese ancestry, or other people of East Asian descent perceived to be Chinese. The term is a derogatory imit ...
".
"Smiles", for which he is best known, became a hit and earned Callahan and composer
Lee S. Roberts about $500,000.
[Lasser, Michael]
America's Songs II: Songs from the 1890s to the Post-War Years
p. 64 (2014) Callahan's primary collaborator was Max Kortlander.
[Tyler, Don. ''Hit Songs 1900-1955'', p. 363 (2007)]
References
External links
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Find A Grave
1874 births
1946 deaths
American male songwriters
{{US-songwriter-stub