Brief Chronology:
Some of his hit songs that followed were:
In 1934, Woods traveled to England, where he stayed for a few years, doing some work for Gaumont-British Films, amoung which were: 'Jack Ahoy' 'Evergreen', starring Jesse Mathews, and 'It's Love Again'.
There is a persistent story claiming Woods was a dangerous and volatile alcoholic. Legend has it that Woods, after consuming a large quantity of alcohol, once exchanged heated words with a man in a nightclub. The argument escalated into a physical fight with Woods pinning the man to the floor while hitting him with his right hand and bashing him in the face with the stump of his left hand. When police arrived at the club and arrested Woods, a woman entered the club and asked, "Who is that horrible man?". Still seated at the bar, a friend of the composer proudly announced, "That's Harry Woods. He wrote 'Try a Little Tenderness'."
After WW2, Woods moved to Glendale (suburb of Phoenix), Arizona, where he died in retirement.
Trained as a printer, he made setting musical type his specialty. When he was 23 years of age, he was working as a printer in Chicago, and had already begun to write songs, both the music and the lyric. His first published song was "We Are Coming, Sister Mary". Ten years later, the song was a staple in the Ed Christy Minstrels.
He wrote some songs during the Civil War:
Post Civil War, he wrote many sentimental ballads.
Henry Clay Work died in 1984, in Hartford, CT., at age 52.
As a very yong man, Wright played the piano for both singer Helen Morgan and dancer Sally Rand. While still a teenager, he led his own orchestra, before eventually finding work in the Hollywood studios. In 1954, he won a Tony Award for "Kismet", where he and his lyricist, Chet Forrest, adapted 'Alexander Borodin's music; Forrest was also the Tony-winning songwriter and lyricist for the Broadway musical "Kismet, which produced such songs as "Strangers in Paradise" and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads"). His songwriting partnership with Chet Forrest lasted for 70 years, until Forrest's death in 1999. Their last collaboration was the Broadway show "Grand Hotel." In 1990, Forrest was nominated for music and lyrics with Forrest and Maury Yeston as Best Score (Musical) for "Grand Hotel, the Musical." Some of his best known songs include "The Donkey Serenade," "Sands of Time," "Willow, Willow, Willow," "Night of My Nights" and "I've Been Working on the Railroad."
Some of his hit songs include:
Among the films to which he contributed songs were:
For the Walt Disney cartoon films, Worth penned songs for such "Mickey Mouse" classics as 'Fun and Fancy Free' (1947) and 'Melody Time' (1948)
Bobby also apppeared as an actor in the 1945 film "Penthouse Rhythm"
Malcolm Williamson
b: Nov. 21, 1931, Sydney, Australia,
Currently no information on this English composer. Besides his impressive "Christ The King", Williamson has written for the Films and was honored by his appointment as 'Master of The
Queen's Musick'.
1989 Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood (TV)
1984 Masks of Death, The (TV. aka in USA: Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death)
1978 Watership Down (contributed Incidental music)
1972 Nothing But the Night (aka Devil's Undead; and in USA: Resurrection Syndicate, The
1970 Horror of Frankenstein, The (composed score)
1970 Crescendo (composed score)
1960 Brides of Dracula, The (composed score)
John Wilson
b: 1972
Currently no information on this English Composer. He was assistant to
Howard Blake writing for the sequel to the "The Snowman", and has also worked with Scottish composer
Patrick Doyle .
Harry M. Woods
ca. Nov. 4. I896, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, USA. d. January 14, 1970, Phoenix, Arizona
Harry came from a musical background. His mother, a concert singer who publicly worked into her eightieth year. Harry had to overcome some adversity to play the piano, having been born with a deformed left hand. He supported himself at Harvard University by singing in church choirs and by giving piano recitals. After matriculating, he decided to become a full time farmer, and settled on Cape Cod, MA. He began to write songs while serving in the U.S. Army during WW1, and continued this 'hobby' after his discharge.
1923
"I'm Going South", lyric by Abner Silver
"Paddlin' Madeleine Home", lyric by composer
1926
"When the Red, Red, Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobblin' Along"
Lyric by the composer. A big hit for Al Jolson, and the success of this tune turned Woods into a professional songwriter
1929 For film 'Vagabond Lover' Rudy Vallee sang 2 of his songs, one was:
"A Little Kiss Each Morning", lyric by composer
1927
"I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", lyric by Mort Dixon
"Just Like a Butterfly That's Caught in the Rain",lyric Mort Dixon
1931 for the Broadway show 'Mum's the Word', starring Jimmy Savo:
"River Stay 'Way From My Door", lyric by Mort Dixon
1930 For a 'March of Time' film, he wrote:
"Here Comes The Sun", lyric by Arthur Freed
1930 "The Man From the South", lyric by Rube Bloom
1931 "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain", lyric by Howard Johnson
Later, Kate Smith, 'The Songbird of the South' made it her theme
1932
"We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye", lyric by the composer
"A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet", lyric by Gus Kahn
1933
"Try A Little Tenderness", lyric Reginald Connelly and Jimmy Campbell
Henry Clay Work
b. Oct. 1, 1832, Middletown, CT. d. June 8, 1884, Hartford, CT.
This son of an active abolitionist must have had an interesting childhood, although we know very little about him. Like his father, he too was also an active abolitionist and Union supporter. His home became a stop on the underground railway, and was instrumental in the escape of several thousand slaves seeking freedom. Henry was self taught in music.
1862
"Kingdom Coming", lyric by composer used a Negro dialect.
In 1921, the entire song was heard in the Jerome Kern's Broadway show 'Good Morning Dearie'.
In 1944, a snippet of this song was heard in the Judy Garland motion picture 'Meet Me in St. Louis'.
1862 "Grafted Into the Army"
1863
"Babylon is Fallen"
"The Song of a Thousand Years"
"God Save the Nation"
1864 "Wake Nicodemus". After the war, it became a Minstrel show favorite
1865 He wrote his greatest hit, inspired by Sherman's march to the sea
"Marching Through Georgia". This melody has been appropriated by Princeton University as a Football 'Fight' song.
Timothy Shay Arthur's play 'Ten Nights in a Barroom', had the song:
"Come Home, Father", which expressed his pro Prohibition feelings. (A Favorite, sung at all the Temperence Meetings.)
"The Lost Letter"
"The Ship That Never Returned"
1876
"Grandfather's Clock". Introduced by Sam Lucas in Hartford, CT., it went on to become a million sheet music copies seller.
Robert Wright
b. Sept. 25, 1914, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA, d. July 27, 2005, Miami, Florida, USA. (natural causes). Age: 90.
Overview:
Bob Wright and Chet Forrest worked together exclusively. They are mainly known for 'borrowing' classical music and changing them into 'Pop' hits, mostly in Broadway musicals.
Allie Wrubel
b. Jan. 15, 1905, Middletown, CT, d. Dec. 13, 1973, Twentynine Palms, CA
Overview
This composer was mainly active during the 1920's to the 1940's. In the 1930's he worked for Paramount Picture Studios. In the late 1940's he worked mostly for the Walt Disney Studios, for whom he composed "Zippity Doo Dah" .
1933 "Gypsy Fiddles"
1934 "I See Two Lovers". A big hit for crooner Russ Columbo, who recorded it on Aug. 31, 1934, two days before his tragic death on Sept, 2, 1934. It was written for the film 'Sweet Music'.
1935 "Fare-Thee-Well Annabelle", Mort Dixon Lyric. Pix 'Sweet Music'.
1935 "The Lady In Red", Dixon lyric. For film 'In Caliente'.
1937 "What Has Become of the You and Me That Used To Be"
1938 "Music, Maestro, Please"
1947 "Zippity-Dee-Doo-Dah"
Wrubel is a member of the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
Guy Anthony Woolfenden
b: July 12, 1937, Ipswich, Suffolk, England, U.K.
Among this English composer's film credits are:
1992 Doll's House, A (TV)
1986 "Heart of the Country" (Mini-TV Series)
1983 Secrets (Film)
1979 Macbeth (TV)
1978 Comedy of Errors, The (TV)
1968 Midsummer Night's Dream, A (TV)
1967 Work Is a 4-Letter Word (Film)
Albert Woodbury
aka: Al Woodbury
Currently no information on this musician. Most of his career has been as an orchestrator for the film studios. Among the films on which he has worked are (all as orchestrator or as additional orchestrator):
1984 Under the Volcano
1984 Draw! (TV orchestrator)
1983 Golden Seal, The
1981 Amateur, The
1980 Changeling, The (1980. aka in Canada/French title: Enfant du diable, L')
1979 Black Hole, The
1979 Frisco Kid, The (aka: No Knife)
1977 Star Wars (uncredited. aka: Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope)
1969 They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (music arranger)
1967 Caprice (aka: Operation Caprice)
1965 Flight of the Phoenix, The
1964 Goodbye Charlie
1964 My Fair Lady
1963 Bye Bye Birdie
1959 Porgy and Bess
1958 Gigi (uncredited)
1957 Silk Stockings
John Woolridge
This composer was most active during the 1950s working on many films including the popular Battle of Britain film 'Angels One Five'. (At it's climax, the Walford Davies/George Dyson 'RAF March Past' was played.) Among his film scores are: Edward My Son (1949), Conspirator (1950), The Woman in Question (1950), Angels One Five (1954), The Last Man to Hang (1956), Count Five and Die (1958), and RX Murder (1958)
David Wooldridge
Among his film credits is 1959's 'Groundwork for Progress'.
Kenneth Anthony Wright
b. 1899, UK, d. 1975, UK
Wright basiclly spent his entire career as that of senior executive with the BBC . He only went into composing film music upon being forced to
retire from that Corporation.
Alex Wurman
b. October 5, 1966
Working mostly in Films and TV, this composer has been active since 1993 to the present. In 1993, he wrote music for such films as 'L.A. Goddess' and supplied additional music for 'Younger and Younger'. In 1994, he composed for the films 'The Crew' and 'Getting In' (aka: Student Body). He worked on 4 films during 1995 including, 'French Exit', 'Ripple', 'Dominion' and 'Born Wild'. In 1996, he worked both on the film 'The Grave' and on the TV show 'In der glanzvollen Welt des Hotel Adlon' (aka: Hotel Adlon). Since then he has worked on such films and TV shows as 1998s 'Expose' and 'Bloodsport'; 1999s 'No Vacancy', 'Dangerous Waters' and 'Play It To The Bone'. His most recent work was the film 'Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes' and 'Hero', - both produced in 2000.
Harry Wright
b. October 31, 1896, Bielitz (Silesia) Germany. d. May 15, 1943, France (in a prisoner of war camp)
né: Ralph Erwin Vogl
Harry Wright was the pseudonym used by Vogl while working in the United States of America.
For more information, please see our Tunesmiths database entry for Ralph Erwin Vogl .
Bobby Worth
b. Sept. 25, 1912, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, d. July 17, 2002, Mission Hills, California, USA. (natural causes). Age: 89.
A child prodigy, Worth was performing classical concerts by age ten, and in his teen years was performing in Gus Edwards' vaudeville acts. In 1940, Worth relocated to Hollywood, teamed with Stanley Cowen in 1941, and began another successful career scoring films. During his long career, Worth created tunes that were recorded by some of the biggest stars of his generation, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald. In collaboration ith bandleader Freddie Martin, and Ray Austin, Worth composed the song "Tonight We Love". Worth also co-composed the popular 1941 WWII tune "(Lights Out) 'Til Reveille".
(1939) Sunset Trail (contributed a song)
(1942) Pardon My Sarong (Starring Abbott and Costello. Worth and Cowen contributed -uncredited- song "Do I Worry")
(1943) Honeymoon Lodge (contributed -uncredited- song "Do I Worry")
(1944) Abbott and Costello In Society (contributed a song)
(1946) Blue Bayou
(1946) Make Mine Music (contributed songs)
(1947) Fun and Fancy Free (contributed additional songs)
(1948) Melody Time (contributed songs)
(1949) An Old-Fashioned Girl (contributed songs)
(1960) Wenn die Heide blüht (contributed song "Ich weine in mein Bier")
(1968) For Singles Only (1968) (uncredited contribution of additional songs)
(2000) Nurse Betty (song "Don't You Know"). (aka: Germany Nurse Betty - Gefährliche Träume)