Robert Wright

For the television writer, see Rob Wright (writer). Robert Craig Wright (September 25, 1914 – July 27, 2005), also known as Bob Wright, was an American composer-lyricist for Hollywood and the musical theatre, best known for the Broadway musical and musical film Kismet, for which he and his professional partner George Forrest adapted themes by Alexander Borodin and added lyrics. Kismet was one of several Wright and Forrest creations that was commissioned by impresario Edwin Lester for the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera. Song of Norway, Gypsy Lady, Magdalena, and their adaptation of The Great Waltz were also commissioned by Lester for the LACLO. The LACLO then exported most of these productions to Broadway. Wright was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Wright and Forrest had an affinity for adapting classical music themes and adding lyrics to these themes for Hollywood and the Broadway musical stage. Wright said that the music was usually a 50-50 "collaboration" between Wright and Forrest and the composer. While both men were credited equally as composer-lyricists, it was Forrest who worked with the music. Forrest and Wright won a Tony Award for their work on Kismet and, in 1995, they were awarded the ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award. He was cremated at Cofer-Kolski-Combs mortuary, Miami, and his ashes given to his executor.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 25, 1914 (Daytona Beach), Died July 21, 2005 (Miami)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1945

Roles Represented in DAHR: 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
Victor	BS-03275	10-in.	11/24/1936	I stumbled over love	Guy Lombardo ; Royal Canadians	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio	songwriter
Victor	BS-03502	10-in.	12/1/1936	I stumbled over love	Dolly Dawn and her Dawn Patrol	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	PBS-09935	10-in.	1/13/1938	The donkey serenade	Allan Jones ; Nathaniel Shilkret	Tenor vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist
Victor	BS-017736	10-in.	12/17/1937	Always and always	Jerry Blaine ; Phyllis Kenny ; Stream Line Rhythm	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	BS-018105	10-in.	1/5/1938	Always and always	Larry Clinton Orchestra ; Bea Wain	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	BS-021130	10-in.	3/9/1938	Always and always	Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Martha Tilton	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	BS-038454	10-in.	7/20/1939	Loveliness	Ozzie Nelson Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	PBS-042294	10-in.	12/11/1939	Oh! What a lovely dream	Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Eddie Stone	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	PBS-042313	10-in.	12/22/1939	It's a blue world	Kenny Baker ; David Broekman	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	songwriter
Victor	BS-043975	10-in.	12/6/1939	It's a blue world	Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	BS-044308	10-in.	12/4/1939	Ho! Punchinello	Rose Blane ; Californians ; Abe Lyman	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	BS-044309	10-in.	12/4/1939	At the Balalaika	Californians ; Eddie Holly ; Abe Lyman	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	BS-044529	10-in.	12/28/1939	It's a blue world	Anita Boyer ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo	songwriter
Victor	BS-044557	10-in.	1/4/1940	At the Balalaika	Wayne King Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal trio	lyricist
Victor	BS-053245	10-in.	7/26/1940	South of Pago Pago	Carl Ravazza Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	BS-055529	10-in.	8/19/1940	Donkey serenade	Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Victor	BS-055542	10-in.	8/27/1940	South of Pago-Pago	Hawaiian Musical Ambassadors ; Ray Kinney	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo (Hawaiian)	lyricist
Victor	BS-060309	10-in.	1/11/1941	Donkey serenade	Emile Coté ; Frank Parker ; Victor Mixed Chorus	Male vocal solo, with mixed vocal chorus and piano	lyricist
Victor	D5VB-0698	10-in.	10/22/1945	The donkey serenade	Al Goodman Orchestra ; Al Goodman	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist
Gramophone	0BA2712	10-in.	9/9/1938	Serenata del somarello	Emílio Livi ; Orchestra Gino Dover	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist
Gramophone	0EA5385	10-in.	Oct. 1937	Firefly selection	Gerry Fitzgerald ; Gaumont-British Symphony ; Louis Levy	Orchestra, with male vocal solo	lyricist
Gramophone	0EA5855	10-in.	1937	The donkey serenade	Ben Frankel Orchestra	Jazz/dance band	lyricist
Gramophone	0EA7643	10-in.	5/2/1939	Sweethearts	Webster Booth	Male vocal solo, with orchestra	lyricist

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Wright, Robert," accessed October 1, 2022, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103695.

Wright, Robert. (2022). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103695.

"Wright, Robert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2022. Web. 1 October 2022.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103695

External Sources

Wikipedia: Robert Wright (musical writer)

Discogs: Robert Wright

Allmusic: Robert Wright

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: Wright, Robert, 1914-2005 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82083378

Wikidata: Robert Wright (musical writer) - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q888339

VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/93854485

MusicBrainz: Robert Wright - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/e2f3fb9d-5ce0-4287-82b1-9124fd4cf50c

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

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.