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 101-125 of 142 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick C1381-C1383 10-in. 12/18/1927 Among my souvenirs Eddie Dunstedter Pipe organ solo composer  
Brunswick A154 10-in. July 1927 Whispering pines of Nevada Ambrose Mayfair Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 844W-846W 10-in. 5/22/1925 The memory of a song (Love came to me in that sweet song divine) Colin O'More Male vocal solo, with string quartet, tuba, and piano composer  
Brunswick TCL1418 10-in. 3/2/1931 Say a little prayer for me Morton Downey Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick DB135 10-in. 11/8/1928 My inspiration is you Melville Gideon Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick DB151 10-in. 11/21/1928 The magic violin Instrumental sextet [Unidentified; Brunswick Records] Instrumental sextet, with female vocal solo composer, lyricist  
Brunswick [Br (U.K.) cat 197-a] 10-in. approximately Aug. 1928 My inspiration is you Harry Shalson Male vocal solo, with violin and piano composer  
Brunswick DB206 10-in. 6/24/1929 My ideal Sidney Wilson Vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick [Br (U.K.) cat 208-b] 10-in. Dec. 1928 High Street, Africa Cicely Courtneidge Female vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Brunswick R322 10-in. approximately Sept. 1927 Souvenirs Harry Shalson Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Brunswick ME36385 10-in. 5/13/1931 Say a little prayer for me Jack Denny Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Edison 3456 10-in. Nov. 1914 Farewell, Isabelle Reed Miller Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 3842 10-in. 6/3/1915 Some little girl named Mary Irving Kaufman Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 3859 10-in. 6/8/1915 Take me back to your heart George Wilton Ballard Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 3921 10-in. 6/30/1915 Somebody's boy Elizabeth Spencer Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 4711 10-in. 5/8/1916 The garden of flowers Walter Van Brunt Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 4787 10-in. 6/14/1916 There's a little baby up in the moon Irving Kaufman Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 5923 10-in. 12/12/1917 Blue bird Gladys Rice Female vocal solo and mixed vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Edison 6485 10-in. between 12/2/1918 and 12/11/1918 'Twas an old fashioned song Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 7175 10-in. 2/24/1920 I'd build a world in the heart of a rose Thomas Chalmers Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7225 10-in. 3/18/1920 The kingdom within your eyes Talbot O'Farrell Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7231 10-in. 3/19/1920 I'd just paint the leaf of the shamrock Talbot O'Farrell Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7232 10-in. 3/19/1920 That old fashioned mother of mine Talbot O'Farrell Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7272 10-in. 4/7/1920 Wyoming Max Fells' Della Robbia Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 8396 10-in. 3/27/1922 There's silver in your hair (But there's gold within your heart) Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
(Results 101-125 of 142 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wright, Lawrence," accessed June 10, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100861.

Wright, Lawrence. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 10, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/100861.

"Wright, Lawrence." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 10 June 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.