The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-08
SOME FAMOUS SONGS
PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES uNOeRI
WHICH THEY WERE WRITTEN. :
Pnyue's 'tipsnc. Sweet Hons" s'h~el
G. Fosters work - Frank Towards
Methods Dexter smith. can,an's
Inspiration -"ernrd Upon "a Plank Fence

Almo,, the only exception TO the usual Oh
scurity Of song writer, Is John Howard
PAYNE " whom moro has probably bcen
written ard printed than ~ AL Others com
bined Nevertheless. a. much that has APP
pe,rcd go relation Nv his inmon, song
"Home. Sweet Home h,s been purely i'm
,cinsrv wo may. perhaps b. rarlouoi # we
introduce here tlc true story o. tire compost
ton OF this lar .ared melody
f. was in .taly that Payne first beard tn
air for which his song was written. ~ be
was s,r0B.ns one morning along quet
country road he va, strucs 10y the sweet
voice 81 "a peasant giTl. Who was carry ing 10
the cit,.a bgslet laden with flowers and NUT
The plaintivc air which she trllci with 50
much sweetness and simplicity at orr' causht
hi, Fancy lc accosted Der. aud after Few
no.leits' conversation asked the ia'no ~ the
sonc which She was unable ~ give BOW.
ever us.as ei, knowledge Of music TO good
nuroose. DC requested her 10 repeat the ar,
whl,o he proceeded 10 write down TIE notes
He Eoon afterward composed the words and,
wifa the ali Of a musician named Bishop,
| welded them TO the Italian air, acoiporat
ing che song INTO his opera OF "Ciau.' "Jct
| soon gave II d world WIDE fame
Tie only rival 70 Home, Sgeet Home
ISIS G Foster, "Ol Folks az Homo" As
| n ma.ical critic has Justly sand. had he not
| mad fine words of the sonc local by intro
du,.ng the SuSanec river. % might we'll
have n,ualpd the former as the ~lme song Of
the world stephen Collins Foster was a
! STRANGELY retiring and difident author, and
| some Of his most Oeauti;nl songs were com
pos,i u-,Ior the most incougruou, conditions.
-
SAYS that his flvorite haunt was ~ a tumble
| down grocoy uoar the Bowcry. n Toe htt.e
back room of which one, az least, o. his
famous mel,l.o- was written Foster YVES r.
true poet as vol cs composer. and "ro.e
both the words and Music OF aA h.s songs
lt .s said thtt re methods q. Fraas 10"
ard. the slccesful author ~ "Ouly q fausy
| Blossom" and other songs. are s0fncHl.t pc
! cniar. and would rstouish many musicians
Mr. Howard isa negro minstrel by profes-
sion lie writes lAo words o. MA song hmr
self and then. vlth tho other members OF the
company. pIocoo~i. 90 dunn out on hotel
( pianos suitable air r. sometimes requires.
| several instruments, anu changes OF scene %
| produce a taking SOM. which when corr
pletod /, written out ana tried upon the
audience d, ;... evening II the song plcasas
il il, sent t,tle nuti.her and mt uDo. the
market.
The co,npc,er. Dexter Smith. i, known 10
nave made several ottomprs before hitting
rho r,,hli, t,e.e slttor,h Dbl. had written
NAM, b.,,,if,,l ,orso. Tnor ono o,oas,on
ne m doom req.c,io, h, s,rodo alone the
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nrocooIo.l ., WIT. ont ,vb,t ma considered
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NJ C,lI. po,ir 500, 'r,,c,'od ~, onorrnous
ea,rr,
rho f,r,iii,. "po,l,. ,. Ro, - yybich las NOW
,..,,, ,,.o,.,, ,,e,rlv tbroadb.,o yro, according
O., b.. ...,,h,- A. sc,,l.,, me-, i,.,,i-,tt., ~
,to ,,..,,,ort n ,y,s s,,,.,o.,,i nv fto oom.
| ,ois If so,ne children W., ,cre pl,vine
o,o,.nl t,e door yybora ho WINS sitting idly
niokin, ONT tunes upon an accorlion As tho
! c,,l5r., ,ssnad e1rioYsIv into his door he
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ION, ,l,,,,i ~ f,,, not. r., s.,i, ,,l,,t be ,yos
s,,.,,.- o,d 49,. il,,.,f a.. ro,y ,,.loiy e.r,,oll
49,, -, M, i,,,,,,..i,,,.lg ,,,o,o oT tbel
-, ,f pod, Ii. i,oor M, "a, o,volone
o,d odtal , f,yy sf,ozos offerv-ard toucbing
u,, the som, M his le..ure
'"Fraureliner Is without doubt the first
,,no ON record IN be penned upon plank
fence II was one OF Hays, earliest lyrics,