Harry Akst

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Harry Akst (born August 15, 1894 in New York City , † March 31, 1963 in Hollywood ) was an American songwriter .

Live and act

Akst was born in New York City, where his father was an orchestral violinist with the Metropolitan Opera . He learned to play the piano at the age of five. He began his career after graduating from high school as a piano player at Vaudeville , where he accompanied singing stars such as Nora Bayes , for whom he worked for four years. When he enlisted in the Army in 1916, he met in Camp Upton on Irving Berlin , with whom he joined friendship. Irving employed him as a pianist in his music publisher, and Harry wrote the Home Again Blues with him in 1921 . More songs followed and quickly became popular: Songs like Am I Blue? , Don't It Mean A Thing and Baby Face , which also became known in Europe for its interpretation of the whispering baritone Jack Smith .

His main success was the song Dinah , which he had written in 1925 with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young . It was recorded on records in the wake of nearly all the greats in American show business such as Louis Armstrong , the Boswell Sisters , Bing Crosby , Sam Donahue , Ted Lewis , the Mills Brothers , the white male quartet The Revelers , Fats Waller and Ethel Waters . In England it was sung by the "American duettists" Layton & Johnstone, in France by Josephine Baker and the piano duetists Reyac & Lebas. In Germany it was played by jazz- oriented bands such as Bernard Etté , Julian Fuhs and Efim Schachmeister (sometimes as "Dainah" on the labels ). It was also sold as a piano roll for mechanical musical instruments.

Akst also wrote film scores . He composed for Fox and Warner Brothers .

His songs included the films Bulldog Drummond , The Squall, This Is Heaven, On with the Show , Broadway Babies, The Mississippi Gambler, No, No, Nanette , Song of the West, The Song of the Flame, Lethernecking, Palmy Days, The Kid From Spain, Dinah, Professional Sweetheart, Glamor, Stand Up and Cheer !, Change of Heart, The Silver Streak, Paddy O'Day, Star For A Night, Fight For Your Lady, Up the River, Battle of Broadway, Island in the Sky, Harvest Melody, Rosie the Riveter, and This Time For Keeps.

In 1927 Akst worked for the Broadway production Artists and Models and then wrote music for Broadway musicals. In 42nd Street he played the role of rehearsal pianist Gerry.

During World War II , Akst served with Al Jolson in overseas troop support. After 1945 he became Jolson's piano accompanist and selected songs for him. With him he wrote the title song for the hit comedy The Egg and Me in 1947 .

Akst died in Hollywood, California at the age of 68. In 1983 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame .

His songs such as B. Baby Face are used in film and television productions to this day.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ sung by Frank Crumit on January 19, 1921 on Columbia A 3375, to be heard on YouTube , there also the text
  2. ↑ On the Electrola label: attach. September 1926, with Arthur Johnston, piano , to be heard on YouTube , here also the text by Benny Davis.
  3. ↑ Columbia 3965, available on YouTube
  4. ↑ Disque Odéon 49.172 (Matr. Ki 922), posted. October 1926, to be heard on YouTube
  5. ↑ Pathé No. X.3771, mx. 20 215, cf. YouTube
  6. ↑ Nordisk Polyphon XS40 825, November 1926, available on YouTube
  7. ↑ cf. ytimg.com
  8. ↑ z. B. Pampa B.4061, heard on YouTube
  9. ↑ Listed at the Songwriter's Hall of Fame ( Memento of the original from June 7, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.songwritershalloffame.org
  10. ↑ cf. ovrtur.com
  11. ↑ cf. see IMDb.com/otherworks
  12. ↑ for the United Service Organizations USO, cf. imdb.com
  13. ^ New York Times (USA), April 3, 1963, pg. 47: 1, "Harry L. Akst, Accompanist With Al Jolson, Dies at 68"
  14. ↑ z. As in the popular in Europe TV series "The Simpsons" (Episode Sky policy in 2015: music: "Baby Face" - uncredited), see Filmography at Harry Akst in the Internet Movie Database (English)
personal data
SURNAME Akst, Harry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Akst, Harry L.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American pianist, composer, songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH August 15, 1894
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 1963
Place of death Hollywood