Betty Comden
b. May 3, 1915 New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA, d. Nov. 23, 2006, New York, NY, USA. Age: 89. (heart failure)
née: Elizabeth Cohen
The team of Comden and Green were well beloved on Broadway. Her father, Leo, was a lawyer, and her mother, Rebecca, a teacher. As a child, she attended Erasmus Hall High School. In the late 1930's, Betty matriculated, with a B.S., from the City College of New York. During this period, she changed her surname to Comden, and had nose surgery to make her look more stageworthy. Comden began acting with the 'Washington Square Players', where she met and become friends with Adolph Green, another aspiring actor. Their circle soon included three other would-be entertainers, Judy Holliday, Alvin Hammer and John Frank.

Comden and Green, together with Judy Holiday, formed a cabaret act 'The Revuers', using material that they themselves wrote. They persuaded Max Gordon, the owner of a club called the 'Village Vanguard', to use them, and, in 1939, 'The Revuers' opened at the Vanguard performing material that included freewheeling sketches like "The Banshi Sisters" and "The Baroness Bazuka," a zany operetta. They were soon frequently accompanied at the piano by one of Adolph Green's friends, a talented young musician named Leonard Bernstein, who dropped in often enough to be taken for part of their act.

In the early 1940's, Leonard Bernstein asked them to work on the Book and Lyrics for a musical that he was adapting for Broadway from his ballet 'Fancy Free'. The show was named 'On The Town', and became a huge stage success. The team followed this with another show called 'Billion Dollar Baby', with music by Morton Gould, choreography by Jerome Robbins and directed by George Abbott, but it was not as well-received.

In 1942, Comden married Steven Kyle, a designer and businessman. The marriage lasted till he died in 1979 and she never remarried. They had two children, a daughter, Susanna, and a son, Alan. Their son, a drug addict, contracted AIDS and died of complications of his addiction in 1990.

Hollywood called. and among the films for which they wrote, include:
1947 'Good News' (starring June Allyson and Peter Lawford as singing, dancing "Tate College' campus sweethearts)
1949 'The Barkleys of Broadway', (the film reunion of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.)
1949 'On The Town', starred Gene Kelly and Sinatra.and Jules Munshin
'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'
1951 "Two on the Aisle" A Broadway show with Jule Styne music
1952 'Singing In The Rain', they wrote the screenplay incorporating the music of composer Nacio Herb Brown.
1953 'The Bandwagon', they wrote the screenplay, incorporating the music of Schwartz and Dietz.
1955 'It's Always Fair Weather', they wrote the screenplay and the lyrics. The music was by Andre Previn.
1953 'Wonderful Town' a Broadway show.
1956 'Bells Are Ringing', music Jule Styne. Starred Judy Holiday. (also some other shows with Styne at this time.)
1958 'A Party With Betty Comden and Adolph Green', a Broadway show much like their early Revuers material.
1958 they wrote screenplay for 'Auntie Mame' (their first non-musical script)
In the late 1950's, they performed their own 2-person stage show.
1960 they wrote screenplay for 'Bells Are Ringing'
1970 they wrote the Libretto for Broadway show 'Applause'.
1978 team contributed to Broadway show 'On The Twentieth Century'.
1982 scored Broadway show 'A Doll's Life'. (their only major failure)
1991 'The Will Rogers Follies'.
1991 they received the Writer's Guild Screen Laurel Award.

The team often appeared on stage and on Television shows. Her long time partner, Adolph Green (b. Dec. 2, 1914, New York (The Bronx), NY, USA, d. Oct. 24, 2002, New York (Manhattan), NY, USA. Age: 87. At a memorial for him a few weeks later, Comden recalled their early days as collaborators and then halted before saying: "It's lonely up here. It was always more fun with Adolph."

      Zez Confrey
b. April 3, 1895, Peru, lL, USA, d. Nov. 22, 1971, Lakewood, NJ, USA
né: Edward Elzear Confrey
Overview.
Zez Confrey was a pianist, bandleader, and composer who was most active during the 1920's. After completing his studies at the Chicago Musical College, Zez formed a band, and also started to compose. His compositions ranged from complex novelty rags to simple children's works for beginners; from concert etudes and miniature operas to popular songs, - even mood music. His Novelty Rags were very popular and are a lasting contribution to the world of Popular Music. The wonderful runs and breaks in these compositions showed his inventiveness and, in the 1920s, virtually every band and pianist were playing his works. At the end of World War 1, he began to 'cut' (for QRS) a great many 'piano roll' recordings for then popular 'player' pianos.

Zez came from a musical family. His eldest brother, James, was said to have played 7 instruments, and young Zez began piano lessons while still a very young child. In the LaSalle-Peru High School, Zez led his own band. He continued his studies at the Chicago Musical College (run by Florenz Ziegfeld, Sr.) with Frank Denhart and Jesse Dunn. There, he was strongly influenced by such French impressionists as Debussy and Ravel. He paid his college tuition and earned a living by playing piano in an orchestra organized by his brother Jim. In April 1915, the band opened the Kaskaskia Hotel after which they toured to Ottawa, Canada, where they played at the Clifton Hotel.

In 1917, Zez enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After his 'boot' training, he was assigned to a touring service show entitled "Leave It To Sailors", and was given a part in one of the 'skits' featuring a young violinist from Waukegan, IL. The violinist eventually found fame as a comedian, - Jack Benny.

His career started in earnest now. After WW1, he played on many of the early radio shows. Starting in 1918 and continuing to 1924, he made about one hundred and twenty-seven rolls for the QRS Piano Roll Company. His solo piano was recorded by Brunswick, Edison, Emerson Records, while the Victor Talking Machine Company recorded him with a band. In the very early 1920s, he recorded a Spencer Williams tune, "Struttin' At The Darktown Strutter's Ball", (here digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland) under the name of 'Zez Confrey and His Orchestra' (Zez on piano). In 1922, Zez composed three popular songs: "Stumbling", "Dumbell", and "Tricks". In 1923, his first book "Zez Confrey's Modern Course in Novelty Piano Playing" was so popular that it remained in print for over 40 years. On February 12, 1924, Zez participated as a soloist and arranger in the historic Paul Whiteman Concert at New York's Aeolian Hall that introduced George Gershwin's concerto "Rhapsody In Blue". Zez also introduced a composition, his "Kitten On The Keys", played here by Mr. Irving Schwartz", became one of the most popular songs of the 1920s. The concert had been billed as "Paul Whiteman and His Palais Royal Orchestra Will Offer An Experiment in Modern Music, Assisted by Zez Confrey and George Gershwin." Between 1924 and '27, Zez made 44 rolls for the Ampico Piano Roll company.

Among his best known compositions, are:
"Kitten on the Keys"
"Dizzy Fingers"
"Stumbling" Originally recorded by Bob Crosby and the Bobcats, and also by Joe 'Fingers' Carr. It was revived in the 1967 film 'Thoroughly Modern Millie', starring Julie Andrews and Mary Tyler Moore.

From about the 1930s on, Zez did much less orchestral work and turned instead to composition for his financial security and enjoyment. In 1971, at age 76, he died in his Lakewood, New Jersey home. Over his lifetime, he had written over 100 instrumental compositions and songs.

      Reginald Connelly
Please see: James Campbell, in this Tunesmiths Database.

      Con Conrad
b. June 18, 1891, New York, N. Y., USA. d. Sept. 28, 1938, Van Nuys, CA, USA.
né: Conrad K. Dober
Overview
Conrad was a composer, pianist, and publisher who was active from the 1920's through the 1930's. His chief Iyricist collaborators were Buddy De Sylva, Joe Young, Vincent Rose, Leo Robin, and Herb Magidson. During this period, he wrote a few songs that became nationally popular. In 1920, he had his first big hit in "Margie", the lyric by Benny Davis. He migrated to California in 1929. In 1934, his song, "The Continental" with lyric by Herb Magidson, was the first "Best Song" Academy Award winner. It had been interpolated into the Astaire - Rogers film 'The Gay Divorcee'. Many other hits followed.

Not a very ambitious student, Con didn't much care for elementary school; and he briefly attended a military academy. He did manage to learn a bit about playing the piano, but he wasn't even ambitious about music either. As a young boy he worked at odd jobs such as a program boy at New York's Grand Opera House; a page on Wall Street, and as an usher in local movie houses.

At age 16, Con left high school, and began his career working in a Harlem movie house ('Vanity Fair Theatre' on 125th Stree), first playing piano in the pit, and then as a vaudeville performer on stage. Later, working for the Keith circuit, he toured with shows that even reached London, England.

As a very young man (ca 1907), he first "partnered" with another young man, James "Jay" Whidden (b. ca. 1890, New York (Brooklyn), NY, USA, d: 1968, Los Angeles, CA, USA) Whidden was a self taught violinist, problably learning from his father, William, who loved to play Irish jigs on the violin. Conrad had learned to play the piano before dropping out of military school. By 1907, Conrad was already playing in local vaudeville.houses. At age 16, Conrad was playing piano for the silent film showing at the Fox Nickelodeon on Newl York's Union Square, and it has been hypothesized that Whidden first met Conrad there. By 1908, the two young men went on a tour as a ragtime act. After playing some of the seedier houses, they were booked into Chicago's Majestic Theatre in 1909. This success brought resulted in their becoming regulars on the B. P. Keith Theatre circuit,

They now began writing songs together. In 1910, they published "High Jinks", a two step Ragtime tune. Lyricist Joe Young helped them on their next two tunes "Down In Dear Old New Orleans", and "Dingle, Dingle, Dingle" both of which were heard in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1912, This success won them an appearance in London, England, -in George Grossmith’s Ragtime review ‘Everybody’s Doing It’. Here's a photo of L-R: Jay Whidden and Con Conrad, taken in London, 1913. (A reader sent this photo attributed to Eileen Knight). In 1913, they appeared in another Ragtime review, ‘Step This Way’, For the remainder of 1913, and part of 1914, they toured both South Africa and Australia, returning to the UK in late 1914., World War I, now changed the world. The Germans blockaded Great Britain and on May 7, 1915, a German U-Boat sunk the liner Lusitania. For various reasons, Conrad decided to return to the USA, while Whidden decided to remain in the UK. In mid-1916, Conrad was back in America, and soon into full time producing, song writing and publishing.

Brief Chronology:
1912 Con's first (published) song "Down in Dear Old New Orleans", with lyric by Joe Young. It was heard in the Ziegfeld Follies of 1912.
1913 Con brought a Broadway show "THe Honeymoon Express", -which had starred the then unknown Al Jolson - to London.
1916. Conrad returned from England to New York, NY.
1918 He formed a partnership with Henry Waterson, as music publishers. Con's songwriting career started in earnest at this time.
19?? He married his first wife, Francine Larrimore, a well known Broadway star.
1918 He published "Oh, Frenchy!", lyric by Sam Ehrlich (popular WW1 song.)
1920 He wrote "Leena from Palesteena", lyric by J. Russel Robinson, and one of his biggest hits "Margie", lyric by Benny Davis and Robinson
1921
"Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me", with lyric by Sidney Clare, was in the Broadway revue 'Midnight Rounders'.
"Barney Google"
"You've Got To See Your Mama Every Night", a Sophie Tucker hit.
"Come On Spark Plug", with lyric by Billy Rose.
"Memory Lane" music by Conrad and Larry Spier, lyric by Buddy De Sylva
"Lonesome and Sorry", with lyric by Benny Davis
1924 -1926 He was busy writing complete scores for some Broadway shows.
1928 Conrad lost his entire fortune financing some un-successful Broadway musicals, and declared bankruptcy.
1929 Hollywood beckoned to him, and he started a whole new career writing tunes for the 'soundies'. Con wrote five tunes for one of the very first 'talkies', The Fox Movietone Follies, including "Walking with Susie", lyric by Sidney Mitchell.

In the ensuing years, he wrote many hit songs, with lyricist Herb Magidson, including "The Continental" and "A Needle in a Haystack", both from The Gay Divorcee; "Here's to Romance", and "Midnight in Paris", both in the show Here's to Romance. In 1934, Con won an Academy Award for "The Continental", the first composer to achieve this.

While, working on the movies, Con teamed up with other composers in writing "Tin Pan Alley" songs. Among his "singles" hits are:
"Sing a Little Love Song", with Archie Gottler; lyrics Sidney Mitchell
"Prisoner of Love", with Clarence Gaiskell, lyrics by Leo Robin
"You Call It Madness, I Call It Love", with Russ Columbo, lyric by Gladys Du Bois and Paul Gregory.

Conrad was elected to the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

      Anthony Collins
b. 1893, d. 1963
During his early years, Anthony became a fairly well known English orchestra conductor. In 1939, he visited the U.S.A. where he not only conducted orchestras in New York and Los Angeles, but also began writing film scores for RKO studios. In 1945, he returned to England and not only composed for British film studios, but also conducted tours for ENSA with the London Symphony Orch., London Philharmonic Orch., Liverpool, Halle, and Birmingham orchestras. His early 1950s Decca Records recordings of the Sibelius symphonies and tone poems are still highly regarded by collectors. In 1953, he again briefly visited New York where he led the LSO.

Among the films to which he contributed are:
   Sixty Glorious Years/Victoria The Great (1938)
   Allegheny Uprising (1939)
   Nurse Edith Cavell (1939)
   Swiss Family Robinson (1940)
   Tom Brown's Schooldays (1940)
   Destroyer (1943)
   Forever and a Day (1943)
   Piccadilly Incident (1944)
   The Fabulous Texan (1947)
   Odette (1950)
   Trent's Last Case (1953)
   Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1954)
   Laughing Anne (1954)
   The Rat
   The Courtneys of Curzon Street
   Derby Day
   The Lady With The Lamp.

      Walter Collins
Currently No Information on this British Composer who also contributed some music for the Gaumont studio films The Good Companions, and Britannia of Billingsgate.

      Jose Maria Conturse
b: Oct. 31, 1911, Lanús, Argentina. d: May 11, 1972, Capilla del Monte (Córdoba), Argentina
One of the major Tango lyricists, his first work was the Waltz "Tu Nombre" ("Your Name") sung first on radio by the vocalist Andrés Falgás. Contursi composed well over a 100 Tangos, among which are:
   "Vieja Amiga", (Old Friend -a lady)
   "Quiero Verte Una Vez Má's", (I want One More Time)
   "Como Aquella Princesa", (Like That Princess)
   "Tu", (You)
   "La Noche que te Fuiste", (Literally: The Night That You Were Yourself)
   "Gricel",
   "Cristal", (Crystal)
   "Sombras Nada Más", (Sad Never Again)
   "Como Dos Extranos", (Like Two Strangers)
   "Toda Mi Vida", (All My Life)
   "Milonga de Mis Amores", (Milonga of My Friends)
   "En Esta Tarde Gris", (In this late Gray One)

And many more, Virtually all of which are still today widely played and beloved by Tangueros everywhere.