Image Source: Wikipedia

J. Fred Coots

John Frederick Coots (May 2, 1897 – April 8, 1985) was an American songwriter. He composed over 700 popular songs and over a dozen Broadway shows. In 1934, Coots wrote the melody with his then chief collaborator, lyricist Haven Gillespie, for the biggest hit of either man's career, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town." The song became one of the biggest sellers in American history.

In 1934, when Gillespie brought him the lyrics to "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", Coots came up with the outline of the melody in just ten minutes. Coots took the song to his publisher, Leo Feist, who liked it but thought it was "a kids' song" and didn't expect too much from it. Coots offered the song to Eddie Cantor who used it on his radio show that November and it became an instant hit. The morning after the radio show there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music and by Christmas sales had passed 400,000.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 2, 1897 (New York City), Died April 8, 1985 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter, tenor vocal, lyricist, piano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 176-200 of 356 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D7VB-2714 10-in. 12/19/1947 Encore, cherie Garry Stevens ; Tex Beneke Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor D8VB-4083 10-in. 12/20/1948 I wouldn't trade the silver in my mother's hair (for all the gold in the world) Eddy Arnold String band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor VA-MVE-3091-1 16-in. 2/11/1929 Why be good? Motion Picture Orchestra Motion picture soundtrack : Orchestra, with male vocal quartet composer  
Victor BVE-Test-131 10-in. 9/10/1928 Doing the raccoon J. Fred Coots Male vocal solo, with piano (self-accompaniment) vocalist, tenor vocal, instrumentalist, piano  
Columbia 80058 10-in. 11/9/1921 My Hawaiian melody Ferera and Franchini Steel guitar duet (Hawaiian) composer  
Columbia 80541 10-in. 9/14/1922 Time will tell Black and White Melody Boys ; Ray Miller Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 80600 10-in. 10/11/1922 Time will tell Happy Six Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 81335 10-in. 11/8/1923 Home town blues Georgians Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W140768 10-in. 7/15/1925 Remembering you Alexander Gray Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia W140869 10-in. 8/27/1925 The promenade walk Sam Lanin Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 141943 10-in. 4/9/1926 Florida low down Original Indiana Five Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W142069 10-in. 4/21/1926 That Florida low down Francis Craig Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Columbia W146626 10-in. 7/5/1928 Moonlight madness (Then you were gone) Pete Woolery Male vocal solo, with instrumental quartet composer  
Columbia 146640 10-in. 7/13/1928 It was the dawn of love Astorites ; Tom Frawley Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W146733 10-in. 7/17/1928 Moonlight madness Ted Lewis and his Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W146742 10-in. 7/18/1928 My little dream boat Ted Lewis and his Band Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 146806 10-in. 7/26/1928 Moonlight madness (Then you were gone) Jim Andrews ; Arthur Ross and his Westerners Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 146869 10-in. 8/21/1928 'Round evening Barney Trimble and his Oklahomans [California Ramblers] ; Robert Wood Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W146914 10-in. 8/28/1928 'Round evening Jan Garber Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W147044 10-in. 10/8/1928 Doin' the raccoon The Knickerbockers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia [W]147118 10-in. 10/10/1928 Doin' the raccoon Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 147475 10-in. 11/21/1928 A love tale of Alsace-Lorraine Bar Harbor Society Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Tommy Weir Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W147705 10-in. 12/17/1928 A love tale of Alsace Lorraine Leo Reisman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 147723 10-in. 12/20/1928 A precious little thing called love Tom Frawley ; Lou Gold Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W147838 10-in. 1/31/1929 A love tale of Alsace Lorraine Maurice J. Gunsky Male vocal solo, with violin, cello, and piano composer  
(Results 176-200 of 356 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Coots, J. Fred," accessed April 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106489.

Coots, J. Fred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106489.

"Coots, J. Fred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106489

External Sources

Wikipedia: J. Fred Coots

Discogs: J. Fred Coots

Allmusic: J. Fred Coots

IMDb: J. Fred Coots

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Coots, J. Fred, 1897-1985 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92014476

Wikidata: J. Fred Coots - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1284588

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/5196885

MusicBrainz: J. Fred Coots - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/3bcb90e6-c8d9-463d-870a-3cc1e480a060

FAST: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/299065

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.