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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 26-50 of 278 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Berliner 01259 7-in. Apr. 1900 Armorer's song George Broderick Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]76 7-in. 6/9/1900 The turnkey's song George Broderick Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]141 7-in. 5/1/1900 The armorer's song George Broderick Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]168 7-in. 7/21/1900 Say you love me, Sue Arthur Collins ; Metropolitan Orchestra Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]572 7-in. 12/6/1900 The armorer's song J. J. Fisher Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]690 7-in. 2/20/1901 Brown October ale J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]690 10-in. 4/28/1902 Brown October ale J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]772 7-in. 5/3/1901 Just for today Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]772 10-in. 5/3/1901 Just for today Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]951 7-in. 9/10/1901 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Harry Macdonough Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1067 7-in. 10/26/1901 The wedding of Reuben and the maid American Quartet Male vocal quartet lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1067[a] 7-in. 11/13/1901 The wedding of Reuben and the maid Haydn Quartet Male vocal quartet lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1067 10-in. 10/26/1901 The wedding of Reuben and the maid American Quartet Male vocal quartet lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1067[a] 10-in. 11/13/1901 The wedding of Reuben and the maid Haydn Quartet Male vocal quartet lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1206 10-in. 1/11/1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1246 7-in. 2/8/1902 The wedding of Reuben and the maid S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1246 10-in. 2/8/1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid S. H. Dudley ; Harry Macdonough Male vocal duet lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix C-]1246 12-in. 6/11/1902 The wedding of Reuben and the maid S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1272 7-in. 2/20/1902 Banjo serenade S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1272 10-in. 2/20/1902 Banjo serenade S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1274 7-in. 2/20/1901 An English coon song S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1274 10-in. 2/20/1902 An English coon song S. H. Dudley Male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1331 7-in. 3/18/1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix B-]1331 10-in. 3/18/1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid American Quartet Male vocal quartet, with piano lyricist  
Victor [Pre-matrix A-]1667 7-in. 10/8/1902 Gypsy love song Herbert Goddard Baritone vocal solo lyricist  
(Results 26-50 of 278 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Harry B.," accessed April 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.

Smith, Harry B.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.

"Smith, Harry B.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588

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