Harry B. Smith
Harry Bache Smith (December 28, 1860 – January 1, 1936) was a writer, lyricist and composer. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics. Some of his best-known works were librettos for the composers Victor Herbert and Reginald De Koven. He also wrote the book or lyrics for several versions of the Ziegfeld Follies. Smith was born in Buffalo, New York to Josiah Bailey Smith (born 1837) and Elizabeth Bach (born 1838). According to his autobiography First Nights and First Editions (Boston: Little, Brown, 1931), Smith's actual name at birth was Henry Bach Smith. He married twice. His first wife was Lena Reed (born August 21, 1868), whom he married on October 12, 1887 in Chicago, Illinois. They had a son named Sydney Reed Smith (born July 15, 1892). Smith's second wife was the actress Irene Bentley (c. 1870 – June 3, 1940). They married on November 23, 1906 in Boston, Massachusetts, after she had been divorced on June 12, 1906 by her first husband James Thomas Sothoron, Jr. (1867–1913). Bentley retired from the stage in 1910 and died at Allenhurst, New Jersey. She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, NY. While on a brief holiday in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on New Year's Day in 1936, Smith died of a heart attack in his room at the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel. Smith worked on many of the famous musical theatre productions of his time. His younger brother Robert Bache Smith (June 4, 1875 – November 6, 1951) was also a successful lyricist. Harry Smith's archive is largely held at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. |
Birth and Death Data: Born December 28, 1860 (Buffalo), Died January 1, 1936 (Atlantic City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1894 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, arranger, songwriter, author
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 101-125 of 278 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | B-15503 | 10-in. | 12/15/1914 | Brown October ale | Reinald Werrenrath | Male vocal solo, with male vocal chorus and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-15814 | 10-in. | 3/19/1915 | We'll take care of you all | Edna Brown ; James F. Harrison | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | C-16054 | 12-in. | 5/27/1915 | Gems from A modern Eve | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | C-16055 | 12-in. | 5/27/1915 | Gems from Nobody home | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | C-16056 | 12-in. | 5/28/1915 | Gems from The lady in red | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | C-17126 | 12-in. | 2/7/1916 | Gems from Very good Eddie | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | C-17127 | 12-in. | 2/7/1916 | Gems from Sybil | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | C-19308 | 12-in. | 2/23/1917 | Gems from Love o' Mike | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-19317 | 10-in. | 2/28/1917 | I wonder why | Marion Harris ; Billy Murray | Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-21456 | 10-in. | 2/19/1918 | Gypsy love song | William F. Larkin | Male vocal solo, with cello and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-21900 | 10-in. | 5/2/1918 | Gypsy love song | Emilio de Gogorza | Baritone vocal solo, with violin, bells, and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-25352 | 10-in. | 6/16/1921 | When you gave your heart to me | John McCormack | Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-25523 | 10-in. | 8/18/1921 | I wonder if you still care for me? | Charles Hart | Male vocal solo, with violin and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-27559 | 10-in. | 2/20/1923 | Man in the moon | Lucy Isabelle Marsh | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-27769 | 10-in. | 4/23/1923 | Song of the brown October ale | Shannon Quartet | Male vocal quartet, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-28152 | 10-in. | 6/27/1923 | Brown October ale | Reinald Werrenrath | Baritone vocal solo, with male vocal chorus and orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-30756 | 10-in. | 9/5/1924 | Gypsy love song | Ralph Crane | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | CVE-32196 | 12-in. | 4/1/1925 | Gems from The love song | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | B-32460 | 10-in. | 4/22/1925 | The magic of moonlight is love | Hope Hampton | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | B-32463 | 10-in. | 4/22/1925 | I hear love call me | Hope Hampton | Female vocal solo, with piano | lyricist | |
Victor | BVE-32595 | 10-in. | 5/13/1925 | Mamie | Jan Garber Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | CVE-33981 | 12-in. | 12/10/1925 | Gems from Princess Flavia | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | BVE-36583 | 10-in. | 11/8/1926 | Someone | Jan Garber Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor | CVE-37316 | 12-in. | 12/15/1926 | Gems from Countess Maritza | Victor Light Opera Company | Vocal chorus and soloists, with orchestra | lyricist | |
Victor | BVE-40195 | 10-in. | 10/20/1927 | I live, I die for you! | The Troubadours | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Harry B.," accessed May 3, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.
Smith, Harry B.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 3, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.
"Smith, Harry B.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 3 May 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Harry B. Smith
Discogs: Harry B. Smith
Allmusic: Harry B. Smith
Grove: Harry B. Smith
IMSLP: Harry B. Smith
RISM: Harry B. Smith
IMDb: Harry B. Smith
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Smith, Harry B. (Harry Bache), 1860-1936 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82051119
Wikidata: Harry B. Smith - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5667065
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/42023885
MusicBrainz: Harry B. Smith - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0e23e321-6877-4a04-ba63-dd449f8cd89b
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