The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-03-13
COMIC SONGS AND SINGERS.


uIInrltIc.--SomrihinE very PcrSonni.
An exchange gives the following incl
dents about comic singers: Poor prices
arc paid for comic songs. Harrigan, or
Williams, or Poole, will charge from
$40 to $50 for Il song-worls and music
according to its merit, but thon they
are tho regulars in the business. The
amateurs may deem themselves lucky il
they get s., and from that low figure the
price runs down to tho point ut which
| tho comic singer deems himself doing
favor TO the author by singing his
bantling.
The music is generally old or slightly
changed from somo well known dance
air or already popular melody. "The
Whereabouts OF Tweed for instance,
is set to the old English song, Per.
haps she's on the railway" "Tha Pin
and Needle Pcdiler" music is adapted
from tho "Jolly Brothers" I" galop, etc.
Harrigau, although not vorscd in music,
has very nice appreciation Of melody,
and gets up his own Mrs, whistliuB or
singing them to musical transcriber,
who notes down and arrGngcs them.
Song writer's nre generally expected to
furnish music for their words. Frank
Lewis has produced number Of origi-
nal Mrs OF no mean merit, and 10 Inns
Sinclair. ,
Copyright on comic songs is little
valued or thought Of by their owners,
not that il might not be defended, but
because little is to be gained by legal
proceedings against fellows who havo
nothing from which to pay damages.
Consequently, proprietary right is prac-
tically registered as soon M song il
sung in public. There is not ono Of
Tony Pastors, Harrigau's, or Williams
songs, which, il good, will not bc sung
in a half dozen variety shows, concert
halls, and free and casys about town be-
fore it is forty.eight hours old. Some.
times this pilfcring goes to tho extent
Of publication with avowcd authorship,
but there it is seldom M successful, az
the publishers may be reached by law.
Queer blundcrs occurin this way. Once,
for example, two parties, orc famons
negro minstrel, now dead, stole n song
OF Poole's, the popular Finnegan's
Wake" and published it, dividing tho
honOrs Of authorship, one taking credit
for the words, and the other for tho
music but, as it happened, tho music
was an old Scotch air, nnd-t0 quote n
comic song" that's what gave them
away" Strange to say, few Mrs arc
taken from what would seem to be II
rich mine, the songs Of tho minor thea
ters and cafes chnntant Of Paris.
The salaries Of professional singers Of
comic songs, provided they have reputa,
tion already, are very large, ranging
from S75 10 $3.50 week. Tony PHator,
il singing under engagement, wonld get
$3.50. Gus Williams commands S20O q
week by tho season. Pat Rooney gets
s20Oa week, COurtright $50, and Ker'
mel! 1925. Then, i'll addition to this,
they make considerable amounts from
tho sale OF rights of publications and the
sales Of song books, music publishers
paying royalty of generally about ten
Der cent. on their sales OF sheet music
and proportionately on books. Some.
times rights are sold out and out, but
not frequently il tho songs are good for
ANYTHING, and since Harrigan fOOlishly
threw away little fortune by selling
the Mulligan Guards" to Pond "
Co. for $50 cash down, such transactions
will no doubt DO rarer in the future.
The English comic singers who have
achieved reputation in this country hay"
been not many more in number than tho
native singers mentioned. There was
Horace Lingard, famous once az Cap.
tain Jinks," who now confines himself
to comedy acting, except when he enters
q vilIage too small for dramatic COM
pany, and then hG does his old
"skctchcs as well us ever; Harry
Richards, whose popularity ~ It Brown.
the Tragedian," in the song Of that
title, has won for him Encouragement
in tho Olympic Theater, to which house
be will soon return from England; jolly
Nash, who is doing his Laughing :"
song out in California; Fred Foster, the
original " PiccadilIy;" J. II. Milbnrn,
great Oh "The Dancing Barber" Hurry
Munroc, who wrote his own songs, and
will be best remembered by his "Swcll
with the Carrotty Hair" and "All
among the Clover" Victor List9r and
Guy Linton, the latter Of whom Ia
travelling somewhere in. this country.