Lawrence Wright

Lawrence Wright (15 February 1888 – 19 May 1964) was a British popular music composer and publisher. He was born in Leicester and opened a music shop in the city in 1906. A short time later his first song, "Down By The Stream", was published, and by 1912 he had established the Lawrence Wright Music Co in Denmark Street, London. Wright went on to write (or co-write) over 600 songs under his own name and as Horatio Nicholls, including the World War I propaganda song "Are We Downhearted? No!", and would receive an Ivor Novello Award in 1962 for Outstanding Contribution to British Popular Music. He was one of the very rare composers of popular music in this period to make a substantial amount of money - it had not been unusual to see composers who had written dozens of hits die in poverty.

In 1927, Wright appeared in a short film made in the DeForest Phonofilm with excerpts of his revue Sensations of 1927.

His 1927 collaboration with Edgar Leslie, "Among My Souvenirs", has been covered by artists including Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, and Connie Francis. Wright founded Melody Maker magazine in 1926. He moved to Blackpool in the early 1920s and became a show promoter. Running "On With The Show" on the North Pier for a record-breaking 32 years (1924 - 1956). He lived in a mock castle house, later called the Castle Casino, on Blackpool's North Promenade. After he began using a wheelchair, he moved to a bungalow in Carlin Gate. After being sold, much memorabilia was discovered at the address including posters, bills, letters, sheet music and musical scores.

In 1930 he composed Amy, Wonderful Amy, a song about Amy Johnson.

Birth and Death Data: Born February 15, 1888 (Leicester), Died May 19, 1964 (Blackpool)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1908 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, songwriter, lyricist

Notes: Lawrence Wright wrote under many pseudonyms including Everett Lynton, Gene Williams, Betsy O'Hagan, and Horatio Nicholls.

See Also: Wright, Lawrence; Nicholls, Horati

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

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 142 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-100345 10-in. 4/4/1936 Never see Maggie alone Billy Mitchell Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Victor CS-057517 12-in. 11/12/1940 Among my souvenirs Raymond Paige Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-066842 10-in. 7/16/1941 Among my souvenirs Collins H. Driggs Novachord solo composer  
Victor D9VB-0860 10-in. 2/2/1949 I never see Maggie alone Ernie Lee ; Southerners (Ernie Lee) String band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor D9AB-1935 10-in. 9/29/1949 I never see Maggie alone Eddie Cantor Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor BRC-Test-1127 10-in. 4/12/1932 Kiss me goodnight Nancy Garner Female vocal solo, with piano composer  
Columbia 78929 10-in. 1/15/1920 I'd build a world in the heart of a rose Charles Hackett Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 78961 10-in. 2/3/1920 Delilah Prince's Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 79828 10-in. 5/6/1921 Wyoming Nora Bayes Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 80629 10-in. 10/27/1922 I'd build a world in the heart of a rose Prince's Dance Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 80888 10-in. 3/7/1923 In a caravan Paul Specht Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 81106 10-in. 7/3/1923 The kingdom within your eyes Edwin Dale Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 49757 12-in. 2/25/1920 Delilah Columbia Orchestra ; Charles Adams Prince Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 49952 12-in. 3/23/1921 Wyoming The Metropolitan Dance Players Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 49962 12-in. 5/9/1921 Deep in your eyes [from The half moon] Prince's Orchestra Orchestra composer  
Columbia W143254 10-in. 1/7/1927 I never see Maggie alone Al Lentz Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal ensemble composer  
Columbia 143280 10-in. 1/10/1927 I never see Maggie alone Astorites ; Tom Martin Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 144891 10-in. 10/21/1927 Among my souvenirs Astorites Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W144899 10-in. 10/24/1927 Among my souvenirs Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Cyril Pitts Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 144937 10-in. 11/1/1927 Among my souvenirs Irving Kaufman Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia W145407 10-in. 12/14/1927 Among my souvenirs James Melton Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia W145453 10-in. 12/30/1927 Among my souvenirs The Artist Ensemble Instrumental ensemble composer  
Columbia W147394 10-in. 11/16/1928 My inspiration is you Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia 147446 10-in. 11/7/1928 My inspiration is you The Harmonians [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Mitchell Vogel Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia [W]147452 10-in. 11/8/1928 My inspiration is you Annette Hanshaw and her Sizzlin' Syncopators Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
(Results 26-50 of 142 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wright, Lawrence," accessed June 9, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100861.

Wright, Lawrence. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 9, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100861.

"Wright, Lawrence." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 9 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100861

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