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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 151-175 of 278 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor [Trial 1917-03-05-01] Not documented 3/5/1917 Armorer's song James Stanley Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 58 7-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 Just for today Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 58 10-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 Just for today Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 145 7-in. ca. 1901 The armorer's song Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 145 10-in. ca. 1901 Armorer's song Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 151 7-in. ca. 1901 Brown October ale Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 151 10-in. ca. 1901 Brown October ale Artists vary Baritone vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 329 7-in. ca. 1901 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 329 10-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 375 7-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 375 10-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 429 7-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 My hame is where the heather blooms Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 429 10-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 My hame is where the heather blooms Artists vary Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 468 10-in. ca. 1901-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Vess L. Ossman Banjo solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 547 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 547 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 656 7-in. ca. 1902-Oct. 1905 The armorer's song J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 656 10-in. ca. 1902 Armorer's song J. W. Myers Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 791 7-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal duet, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 791 10-in. ca. Jan.-Sept. 1902 The wedding of the Reuben and the maid Artists vary Male vocal duet, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 1444 10-in. ca. 1903 My little Pansy Minnie Emmett Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 1444 7-in. ca. 1903-Oct. 1905 My little Pansy Minnie Emmett Female vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 1659 7-in. ca. 1903 Plain Mamie O'Hooley Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 1659 10-in. approximately 1903 Plain Mamie O'Hooley Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia 1735 10-in. Feb. 1904 Only a hundred girls in the world for me Thomas Q. Seabrooke Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 151-175 of 278 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Smith, Harry B.," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.

Smith, Harry B.. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103588.

"Smith, Harry B.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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