Biography

Songwriter ("Bye, Bye Blackbird", "That Old Gang of Mine", "The Lady in Red", "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover"), and author, educated at DeWitt Clinton High School. He was a vaudeville actor, and served in the US Army during World War I, directing the Army show "Whiz Bang", with which he toured Europe after the war. He wrote the Broadway scores for "Laugh Parade", and wrote songs for "Sweet and Low" and "Crazy Quilt". Joining ASCAP in 1924, his musical collaborators included Bily Rose, Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry Woods, and Allie Wrubel. His other popular-song compositions include "If I Had a Girl Like You", "Just Like a Butterfly that's Caught in the Rain", "River, Stay 'Way from My Door", "Marching Along Together", "My Old Man", "Nagasaki", "You're My Everything", "Would You Like to Take a Walk?", "Ooh, That Kiss", "I Found a Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent Store", "Pop Goes Your Heart", "Happiness Ahead", "Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name", "Flirtation Walk", "Fare Thee Well, Annabelle", and "I See Two Lovers".