William Attaway

William "Bill" Alexander Attaway (* 19th November 1911 in Greenville , Mississippi ; † 17th June 1986 in Los Angeles , California ) was an American composer and writer , who to that of Richard Wright founded Wright School of African-American literature belonged and who became known in particular through the calypso song Banana Boat Song , which he and Lord Burgess wrote and sung by Harry Belafonte .

Life

William Attaway graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree. His first novel Let Me Breathe Thunder was published in 1939, followed by his second and last novel, Blood on the Forge , in 1941 . In this migration novel, set among steel workers in the Pittsburgh area in 1919 , he processed his own experiences as his own family was part of this population shift from south to north during his childhood. At that time he joined authors such as Chester Himes , Ann Petry , Ralph Ellison , James Baldwin, the Wright School of African American literature founded by Richard Wright , who wrote texts of social realism on American misery, accusations against exploitation and racism . From the beginning of the 1950s he worked as a screenwriter and director for television series such as The Colgate Comedy Hour , General Electric Theater , Wide Wide World , ABC Stage 67 and Skag .

Later Attaway, who joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1956 , worked as a composer and lyricist of numerous songs. He was best known for the calypso song Banana Boat Song , written by himself and Lord Burgess and sung by Harry Belafonte . Other popular songs include Don't Wanna Go Home , Heart's A Mess , Jump Down, Spin Around , Mama Look a Boo Boo, and Noah . In 1967, the book Hear America singing was a collection of folk songs .

Attaway was married from December 28, 1962 until his death on June 17, 1986 to the singer Fran Scott Attaway, who was married to the musician Tony Scott in her first marriage , and father of two children. His older sister was the actress Ruth Attaway , who starred in The Land of the Rain Tree (1957), Porgy and Bess (1959) and Willkommen Mr. Chance (1979).

Works

Let Me Breathe Thunder , 1939
Blood on the forge , 1941
Hear America singing , 1967

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Attaway, William
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Attaway, William Alexander (full name); Attaway, Bill (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American writer and composer
DATE OF BIRTH	November 19, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH	Greenville , Mississippi
DATE OF DEATH	June 17, 1986
Place of death	Los Angeles , California