Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-11-23
SOME song WRITER'S.
HOW SOME MEN HAVE ATTAINED
FAME
while Others have Yielded Their
Authors Small Profit by Song
Writing-Origin Of Some Popular
Melodies.


Writing Origin Of Some PopuIa
Melodies.
6 The success OF song can never b
ioretold with any degree of certainty
J and the non-success of song writer
! both i'll his art and finances, is tn
rule, with few exceptions. Out OF th'
great mass OF songs written but few
) ever reach popularity. and the authors
OF these seldom receive an adequat,
compensation. The exceptions onl,
emphasize the rule. Publishers ant
singers more often make money than
do the writer's.
Few song writer's are entirely origi.
nal, but depend much upon others
both for suggestions, words and music
The successful ones are persons who
are quick to see and appreciate any
scene or event that holds the idea of a
song. This fact gives rise to much in
teresting history in connection with
song writing. After the idea, the
words and the melody, comes the
great trouble of getting the popular ap-
proval that gains success for the COM
position. Here lies the rock Oh which
many ambitious authors are wrecked,
and which some pass only to find
empty honors.
Poor "McGinty" came near going
down without notice from the world,
for its author, Joseph Flynn, carried it
about for six months on an unsuccess-
ful search for publisher. Even after
he started to sing it the publishers
thought there was nothing in it. Fl
nally Flynn went to small Brooklyn
publisher and prevailed on him TO
take the composition. The result was
to establish the publisher in a good
business, and McGinty" became the
rage.
Mr.. Flynn is now singing on the
New York stages and makes the hearts
OF composers ache by parodying their
finest productions. He is a careful
business man, and has succeeded in
saving quite sum from the results
OF his labor.
OF the many songs written by
Charles Graham none ever reached
the widespread popularity OF "Two
Little Girls in Blue" The catchy
melody became contagious and the
pathos of the lines soon found firm
lodgment in the minds of the people.
The writer sold it for a paltry $40,
though afterward the publishers de-
posted $500 to the credit of Mr.. Ora.
ham, as q mark of appreciation OF
what the composer's work had done
for them and from desire to help the
poor author, who was sadly in need OF
money.
Mr.. Graham's first successful song
was eff the Waters Could Speak as
They Flow" This was written when
he was with the old California quartet,
and, as has been his fortune. brought
him little more than fame. This was
followed by "The Picture Turned
Against the Wall" For this he re.
ceived $500, and felt we'll paid, though
the song was worth fortune for his
success has established and been the
making of two firms of publishers.
MIR. Graham is about thirty-six years
old, lives in Brooklyn, and is still
doing song work.
One OF the beet all.round song
writer's in the business is Gussie l..
Davis, and yet he has nothing to show
for the good work he has done. Many
of his songs that have reached great
popularity have been bought for few
dollars, and while publishers and sing
ers have made money out OF them, he
has been nearly forgotten.
Mr.. Davis is q colored man, and is
now with minstrel troupe. He is a
ready and versatile composer. His
songs range from touching pathos to
ridiculous humor. He wrote "The
Fatal Wedding" The Lighthouse by
the Sea" and Father of the Little
Coon" One of his latest, which is
now heard on hundreds of stages, is
the extremely pathetic song. "Pic-
ture S4," the music of which he wrote
for Mr.. Charles B. Ward. He also
wrote "Get On Your Sneak Shoes,
Children" a catchy Ethiopian melody.
Mr.. Davis has the peculiar faculty of
being able at . moments notice to
turn good words and music from a
title that is suggested to him. In this
way he has written many of his popu.
lar songs.
The popularity of the coster"
song, which is new thing in America,
called for "Pearl the Bowery Girl"
and it is one of the great successes OF
the day. 1t was written by Andrew
Mack and William Jerome, and sprang
into popularity in q night. 1t is now
sung in a thousand theaters. Fortu-
uately the authors receive a royalty
from it.
"Pearl" was put on at the Imperial
in concert for one night, but was re-
ceiyed with such enthusiasm that Mr.
Ward sang it there for eight weeks.
MFR. Jerome also wrote the comic
song "He Never Came Back" On
this he gets royalty, but a small one
as most of the sales of such preduc
,ions 20 to the stage, and not to thu
numerous homes. McGinty" was ar
execution to this, for it went every
where.
John F. Kelly's first great success
was "Tommy Dobkins," which wa
written for the late Harry Kernel
It is a Lancashire song and dance
and Mr.. Kelly felt that Kernell woult