Byron Gay
Byron Sturges Gay (August 28, 1886 – December 22, 1945) was an American songwriter. One of his best-known songs "Four or Five Times" (co–written with Marco H. Hellman) has been recorded by numerous artists including King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Lionel Hampton, Bob Wills, Woody Herman, Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee and more. Byron also worked with the composer Richard A. Whiting, together they wrote such songs as "Horses" and "Fire", both popular dance and comedy songs. |
Birth and Death Data: Born August 28, 1886 (Chicago), Died December 23, 1945
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1915 - 1954
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist, songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | B-15755 | 10-in. | 3/3/1915 | The little Ford rambled right along | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist, composer | |
| Victor | B-16259 | 10-in. | 7/26/1915 | Gasoline Gus and his jitney bus | American Quartet | Male vocal quartet, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Victor | B-21953 | 10-in. | 6/5/1918 | Sand dunes | Six Brown Brothers | Saxophone sextet | composer | |
| Victor | B-22381 | 10-in. | 2/25/1919 | Sand dunes | Nicholas Orlando's Orchestra | Orchestra | composer | |
| Victor | B-22938 | 10-in. | 6/25/1919 | The vamp | Joseph C. Smith's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | composer | |
| Victor | B-23104 | 10-in. | 8/1/1919 | Sand dunes | Vernon Dalhart | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist, composer | |
| Victor | B-23378 | 10-in. | 12/16/1919 | Oh! | Paul Biese’s Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | B-23651 | 10-in. | 1/30/1920 | The vamp | Marimba Azul y Blanco | Marimba band | composer | |
| Victor | B-27411 | 10-in. | 1/18/1923 | Fate | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | B-30449 | 10-in. | 7/1/1924 | The song of my dreams | Rosa Hamilton | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| Victor | B-31141 | 10-in. | 11/3/1924 | The world is mine (For I have you) | E. Sheetz Californians | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-32544 | 10-in. | 4/27/1925 | Just a little drink | Benson Orchestra of Chicago | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-32574 | 10-in. | 5/6/1925 | Just a little drink | Paul Whiteman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-34226 | 10-in. | 12/18/1925 | Westward | Tom Waring | Male vocal solo, with piano (self-accompaniment) | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-34676 | 10-in. | 3/4/1926 | Horses | George Olsen and his Music | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and monologue | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-36496 | 10-in. | 12/8/1926 | Fire | Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | PBVE-42063 | 10-in. | 3/5/1928 | Rose of Monterey | Herman Kenin Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Victor | PBVE-42130 | 10-in. | 3/28/1928 | Moonlight on the Danube | Mickey Gillette ; Romanciers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-46093 | 10-in. | 7/11/1928 | Four or five times | McKinney's Cotton Pickers | Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio | lyricist | |
| Victor | BVE-49105 | 10-in. | 11/14/1928 | The soul of a rose | Victor Orchestra | Orchestra | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-63194 | 10-in. | 11/5/1930 | The song of the Navy | Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo (takes 1-3); with male vocal quintet (takes 4-6) | composer | |
| Victor | BVE-78572 | 10-in. | 11/22/1933 | Sittin' on a log (Pettin' my dog) | Hotel McAlpin Orchestra ; Sam Robbins | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-78856 | 10-in. | 12/15/1933 | Sittin' on a log (Pettin' my dog) | Isham Jones Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | PBS-09674 | 10-in. | 8/31/1937 | The vamp | Hal Kemp Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | MBS-094353 | 10-in. | before 12/22/1953 | O | Orquesta Luis Arcaraz | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 39988 | 10-in. | 3/25/1915 | The little Ford rambled right along | Arthur Fields | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 45881 | 10-in. | 7/26/1915 | Gasoline Gus and his jitney 'bus | George O'Connor | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 77094 | 10-in. | 6/1/1917 | Sons of Liberty | Columbia Stellar Quartette ; Andrea Sarto | Male vocal solo and male vocal quartet, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 77288 | 10-in. | 8/27/1917 | One step more | Frank E. Banta ; Howard Kopp | Piano and drums duet | composer | |
| Columbia | 78208 | 10-in. | 12/17/1918 | Sand dunes | Earl Fuller ; Rector Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 78418 | 10-in. | 5/8/1919 | The vamp | George Hamilton Green ; Joe Green | Xylophone duet, with orchestra | composer | |
| Columbia | 78459 | 10-in. | 5/29/1919 | The vamp | Waldorf-Astoria Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal chorus | composer | |
| Columbia | 78824 | 10-in. | 11/21/1919 | "O" (Oh!) | Straight's Trio | Instrumental trio | composer | |
| Columbia | 78826 | 10-in. | 11/24/1919 | "O" (Oh!) | Ted Lewis Jazz Band | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 78851 | 10-in. | 12/9/1919 | "O" (Oh!) | Jack Kaufman ; Ted Lewis Jazz Band | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 79275 | 10-in. | 6/15/1920 | The little Ford rambled right along | Frank Crumit | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 79947 | 10-in. | 7/18/1921 | Catalina | Paul Biese Trio | Instrumental trio | composer | |
| Columbia | 80566 | 10-in. | 9/27/1922 | Fate | Ted Lewis Jazz Band | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 80595 | 10-in. | 10/10/1922 | Vamp me | Paul Biese Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 80641 | 10-in. | 11/2/1922 | Vamp me (And I'll vamp you) | Garber-Davis Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 81502 | 10-in. | 1/28/1924 | Keep a-goin' | Phil Romano Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | 81959 | 10-in. | 9/5/1924 | Gilda | Art Kahn Orchestra ; Frank Sullivano | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | 49488 | 12-in. | 8/30/1918 | Sand dunes | Earl Fuller ; Rector Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | W140457 | 10-in. | 3/23/1925 | Just a little drink | California Ramblers | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Columbia | W141665 | 10-in. | 2/10/1926 | No | Ted Lewis and his Band | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Columbia | 141808 | 10-in. | 3/17/1926 | Horses | Irving Kaufman ; Manhattan Dance Makers | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W141953 | 10-in. | 4/13/1926 | Horses | Georgians | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 142906 | 10-in. | 11/3/1926 | Fire! | Joe Fire, the Old Fireman ; WMCA Broadcasters | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W142909 | 10-in. | 11/4/1926 | Fire! | Harry Reser's Syncopators ; Tom Stacks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | W144947 | 10-in. | 10/2/1927 | Rose of Monterey | Columbians ; Billy Day | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W145679 | 10-in. | 2/25/1928 | Moonlight on the Danube | Eddie Thomas’ Collegians [Columbians] ; Arthur Fields | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Columbia | W148276 | 10-in. | 4/14/1929 | The vamp | Dan Hornsby Novelty Quartet | Male vocal and instrumental quartet | lyricist, composer | |
| Columbia | W152542 | 10-in. | 10/27/1933 | Sittin' on a log (Pettin' my dog) | Fran Frey and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Columbia | 76618 | 12-in. | approximately 1919 | The vamp | London Dance Orchestra ; Corelli Windeatt | Orchestra | composer | |
| Columbia | 76619 | 12-in. | approximately 1919 | Sand dunes | London Dance Orchestra ; Corelli Windeatt | Orchestra | composer | |
| Columbia | 76635 | 12-in. | approximately October 1919 | The vamp | Philip Braham ; Odette Myrtil ; Prince of Wales Theatre Orchestra | Female vocal solo, with orchestra and chorus | composer | |
| OKeh | 333 | 10-in. | ca. Sept. 1918 | My angel of the flaming cross | Greek Evans | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | 392 | 10-in. | approximately July 1918 | Sand dunes | Joe Green | Xylophone solo, with orchestra | composer | |
| OKeh | 680 | 10-in. | ca. May 1919 | The vamp | Green Brothers' Xylophone Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-752 | 10-in. | ca. July 1919 | The vamp | Rega Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | 809 | 10-in. | ca. May 1919 | Western land | Joseph A. Phillips | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | 812 | 10-in. | approximately May 1919 | Western land | Green Brothers | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-7146 | 10-in. | Jan. 1920 | "O"—(Oh!) | Jack Kaufman ; Rega Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| OKeh | S-7165 | 10-in. | ca. Jan. 1920 | Fast asleep in Poppy Land | Paul Biese’s Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-7354 | 10-in. | ca. Mar. 1920 | I like to do it | Green Brothers' Novelty Band | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | 8508 | 10-in. | Jan. 1924 | Keep a-goin' | Finzel's Arcadia Orchestra of Detroit | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-70910 | 10-in. | Oct. 1922 | Vamp me (And I'll vamp you) | Rega Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-71253 | 10-in. | Feb. 1923 | Fate (It was fate when I first met you) | Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra ; Vincent Lopez | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| OKeh | S-73489 | 10-in. | June 1925 | Just a little drink | Tickle Toe Ten | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| OKeh | 80007 | 10-in. | 4/26/1926 | Horses | The Red Hotters | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| OKeh | 80191 | 10-in. | 10/23/1926 | Fire! | Jazz Pilots ; Harry Reser | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| OKeh | W401221 | 10-in. | 10/13/1928 | Four or five times | Chocolate Dandies | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | lyricist | |
| OKeh | W403146 | 10-in. | 10/16/1929 | Four or five times | Monarch Jazz Quartet of Norfolk | Male vocal quartet, unaccompanied | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 2849 | 10-in. | approximately Sept. 1919 | The vamp | All Star Trio | Instrumental trio | composer | |
| Brunswick | 3327-3329 | 10-in. | approximately Dec. 1919 | Fast asleep in Poppyland | Paul Biese’s Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Brunswick | 9398-9400 | 10-in. | approximately Dec. 1922 | Fate | Gene Rodemich’s Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with 2 pianos | composer | |
| Brunswick | 12102-12104 | 10-in. | 12/13/1923 | Keep a goin’ | Ray Miller Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Brunswick | 15157-15159 | 10-in. | 3/13/1925 | Just a little drink | Frank Bessinger ; Ray Miller Orchestra ; Frank Wright | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | lyricist, composer | |
| Brunswick | E28056 | 10-in. | 8/13/1928 | Four or five times | Dixie Syncopators ; King Oliver | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet; without vocal (take G) | composer | |
| Brunswick | E2231 -E2233 | 10-in. | 1/26/1926 | All for you | Golden Pheasant Orchestra ; Austin Wylie | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | E2587-E2589 | 10-in. | 3/3/1926 | Horses | Six Jumping Jacks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E2596-E2598 | 10-in. | 3/4/1926 | Westward | Vertmonte Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E2689-E2691 | 10-in. | 3/23/1926 | Horses | Six Hayseeds | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E18538-E18540 | 10-in. | 3/24/1926 | Horses | Ed Smalle | Male vocal solo, with piano and traps | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E20512-E20513 | 10-in. | 10/25/1926 | Fire! | Six Jumping Jacks | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | E22913-E22915 | 10-in. | 5/3/1927 | Wide open spaces | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Brunswick | E26430-E26432 | 10-in. | 2/8/1928 | Moonlight on the Danube (Danubio azul) | Joe Green Novelty Marimba Band ; Frank Munn | Marimba band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take E26432) | composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | C1939 | 10-in. | 5/16/1928 | Four or five times | Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | composer | |
| Brunswick | C2711 | 10-in. | 12/27/1928 | Let’s sow a wild oat | Jimmie Noone’s Apex Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet | composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | LAE508 | 10-in. | May 1929 | Just a little drink | Ira F. Gay’s California Dons | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Brunswick | LA912 | 10-in. | 12/13/1930 | To make a long story short (I love you) | Earl Burtnett ; Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (takes G[1] and G[2]) | composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | LA916 | 10-in. | 1/16/1931 | To make a long story short (I love you) | Earl Burtnett ; Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (takes G[1] and G[2]) | composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | LA954 | 10-in. | 2/13/1931 | To make a long story short (I love you) | Earl Burtnett ; Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Brunswick | 567W-569W | 10-in. | 3/19/1925 | Just a little drink | Irving Kaufman ; Tuxedo Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Brunswick | DAL144 | 10-in. | 9/24/1935 | Four or five times | Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys | String band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Edison | 3524 | 10-in. | 1/18/1915 | The little Ford rambled right along | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist, composer | |
| Edison | 3897 | 10-in. | 6/22/1915 | Gasoline Gus and his jitney bus | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo and male vocal trio, with orchestra | songwriter | |
| Edison | 4719 | 10-in. | 5/11/1916 | The dragon's eye | Peerless Orchestra | Instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Edison | 5826 | 10-in. | 10/2/1917 | We want the flowers now | Thomas Chalmers ; Lawrence E. Gilbert | Male vocal duet, with orchestra | composer | |
| Edison | 6398 | 10-in. | 10/7/1918 | Sand dunes | All Star Trio | Saxophone, piano, and xylophone | composer | |
| Edison | 6793 | 10-in. | 5/15/1919 | The vamp | Green Brothers' Novelty Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Edison | 6892 | 10-in. | 7/31/1919 | Western land | All Star Trio | Instrumental trio | composer | |
| Edison | 7155 | 10-in. | 2/10/1920 | "O" (Oh!) | Billy Murray | Male vocal solo, with orchestra | composer, lyricist | |
| Edison | 7972 | 10-in. | 5/10/1921 | The sidewalk | Orlando's Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Edison | 8148 | 10-in. | 7/28/1921 | Catalina | Broadway Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Edison | 8679 | 10-in. | 12/1/1922 | Fate (It was fate when I first met you) | Atlantic Dance Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Edison | 8934 | 10-in. | 4/18/1923 | Fate (It was fate when I first met you) | Criterion Quartet | Male vocal quartet, with orchestra | composer | |
| Edison | 9016 | 10-in. | 6/7/1923 | Two little eyes | Homestead Trio ; Elizabeth Spencer | Soprano vocal solo and female vocal trio, with orchestra | lyricist, composer | |
| Edison | 9600 | 10-in. | 7/3/1924 | Radio | Atlantic Dance Orchestra ; Arthur Hall | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer | |
| Edison | 10490 | 10-in. | 7/7/1925 | Just a little drink | Bud Kennedy ; Tennessee Happy Boys | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | composer, lyricist | |
| Edison | 11283 | 10-in. | 11/5/1926 | Fire! (An "alarming" novelty) | Tom Howard ; Jazz Babies | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
| Gramophone | 0PC1038 | 10-in. | 12/16/1954 | '0" | Conjunto Mário Simôes | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist, composer | |
| Columbia (U.K.) | WL260 | 10-in. | 12/14/1925 | Just a little drink | Clément Doucet ; Jean Wiener | Piano duet | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Gay, Byron," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102204.
Gay, Byron. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/102204.
"Gay, Byron." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Gay, Byron - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n78029020
Wikidata: Byron Gay - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5004363
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/157877989
MusicBrainz: Byron Gay - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/6ccad4eb-9b74-4f22-ad32-2bff6f53184c
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
Feedback
Send the Editors a message about this record.