Raymond Blanning Egan (November 14, 1890 – October 13, 1952) was a Canadian-born American songwriter of popular music. Many of his songs have appeared in films and musical theatre. He often collaborated with composer Richard A. Whiting.

Early life and education

Egan was born in

Windsor, Ontario Windsor ( ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is situated on the south bank of the Detroit River directly across from the U.S city of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan. Geographically located within but administratively independent of Esse ...

. He moved with his family to the United States in 1892 and settled in

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, where he attended the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

Career

Egan's first job was a bank clerk, but he soon moved on to be a staff writer for Grinnell’s Music Co. in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. Beginning in the 1910s, he and Whiting wrote many popular songs, including "Till We Meet Again", "The Japanese Sandman" and "Ain't We Got Fun". Egan wrote songs for Vaudeville and for Broadway acts, including Robinson Crusoe, Jr., Silks and Satins, Holka Polka and Earl Carroll’s Sketch Book of 1935. He also wrote a number of songs for the films ''

Paramount on Parade ''Paramount on Parade'' is a 1930 all-star American pre-Code revue released by Paramount Pictures, directed by several directors including Edmund Goulding, Dorothy Arzner, Ernst Lubitsch, Rowland V. Lee, A. Edward Sutherland, Lothar Mendes, Ott ...

'', ''

Red-Headed Woman ''Red-Headed Woman'' is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Jack Conway from a screenplay by Anita Loos, based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Katharine Brush. Produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film stars Jean ...

'', ''

The Prizefighter and the Lady ''The Prizefighter and the Lady'' is a 1933 pre-Code Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romance film directed by Howard Hawks and W. S. Van Dyke starring Myrna Loy and the professional boxers Max Baer, Primo Carnera, and Jack Dempsey. The film was adapted ...

'' and MGM's 1932 ''Lord Byron of Broadway''. As well as Whiting, he later went on to write songs with Walter Donaldson,

Ted Fiorito Theodore Salvatore Fiorito (December 20, 1900 – July 22, 1971),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 95. known professionally a ...

Harry Tierney Harry Austin Tierney (May 21, 1890 – March 22, 1965) was an American composer of musical theatre, best known for long-running hits such as ''Irene (musical), Irene'' (1919), Broadway's longest-running show of the era (620 performances), ''Kid B ...

, and

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 ...

. His song "I Never Knew" was included on Judy Garland's 1950 ''Second Souvenir Album''. Egan died in

Westport, Connecticut Westport is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. Located in the Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast along the Long Island Sound, it is northeast of New York City and is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connec ...

, aged 61. He was inducted into 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 1970."Raymond Egan"
Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame website One of his works (co-written with Richard A. Whiting) named ''Hands In Hand Again'' was remixed and covered by the dark ambient band

Midnight Syndicate Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo that has been working primarily in the genre of Neoclassicism (music), neoclassical dark ambient music since 1997 in music, 1997 and is based in Chardon, Ohio, Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, Oh ...

in their 2005 album The 13th Hour.

Selected compositions

*"Coaling Up in Colon Town" (1916). m: Richard A. Whiting *"Bravest Heart of All" (1917). m: Richard A. Whiting *"I Wonder Where My Buddies Are To-Night" (1917). m: Richard A. Whiting *"

So Long, Mother "So Long, Mother" is a World War I era song released in 1917. Raymond B. Egan and Gus Kahn wrote the lyrics. Egbert Van Alstyne composed the music. The song was published by Jerome H. Remick & Co. of Detroit, Michigan. On the cover is a soldier a ...

" (1917). m:

Egbert Van Alstyne Egbert Anson Van Alstyne (March 4, 1878 – July 9, 1951) was an American songwriter and pianist. Van Alstyne was the composer of a number of popular and ragtime tunes of the early 20th century. Biography Van Alstyne was born in Marengo, Illi ...

*"Throw Me a Kiss from Over the Sea" (1917). m: Richard A. Whiting *"I'll Love You More for Losing You a While" (1918). m: Richard A. Whiting *"Kaiser Bill" (1918). m:

*"Smile as You Kiss Me Good-Bye" (1918). m:

Art Gillham Art Gillham (January 1, 1895, St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri – June 6, 1961, Atlanta, Georgia, Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia) was an American songwriter who was among the first crooners, a pioneer radio artist, and a recording ...

*" Till We Meet Again" (1918). m: Richard A. Whiting *"You'll Be Welcome as Flowers in the Maytime" (1918). m: Richard A. Whiting *"Eyes of the Army" (1919). m: Richard A. Whiting *"Hand in Hand Again" (1919). m: Richard A. Whiting *"Rose of Verdun" (1919). m: Richard A. Whiting *"They Called it Dixieland" *"Mammy’s Little Coal Black Rose" *"Where the Morning Glories Grow" *"

Ain't We Got Fun? "Ain't We Got Fun" is a popular foxtrot published in 1921 with music by Richard A. Whiting, lyrics by Raymond B. Egan and Gus Kahn. It was first performed in 1920 in the Fanchon and Marco revue ''Satires of 1920'', then moved into vaudevill ...

" *"

The Japanese Sandman "The Japanese Sandman" is a song from 1920, composed by Richard A. Whiting and with lyrics by Raymond B. Egan. The song was first popularized in vaudeville by Nora Bayes, and then sold millions of copies as the B-side for Paul Whiteman's song "W ...

" *"In a Little While" *"Tea Leaves" *"Sleepy Time Gal" *"You’re Still an Old Sweetheart of Mine" *"Some Sunday Morning" *"Three on a Match" *"Somebody’s Wrong" *"Tell Me Why You Smile, Mona Lisa" *"Dear Old Gal, Who’s Your Pal Tonight?" *"There Ain’t No Maybe in My Baby’s Eyes" *"I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody" *"Downstream Drifter" *"Red Headed Woman”

References

External links

*
Sheet music for "Till We Meet Again"
Jerome H. Remick & Co., 1918.
Raymond B. Egan 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:Egan, Raymond B. 1890 births 1952 deaths Canadian male songwriters Canadian male composers Musicians from Windsor, Ontario University of Michigan alumni 20th-century Canadian composers 20th-century Canadian male musicians Canadian emigrants to the United States