Alfred Bryan

Alfred Bryan (September 15, 1871 – April 1, 1958) was a Canadian lyricist.

Bryan was born in Brantford, Ontario. He worked as an arranger in New York and wrote lyrics for many Broadway shows in the late 1910s and early 1920s. In the 1920s he moved to Hollywood to write lyrics for screen musicals.

Bryan worked with several composers during his career. Among his collaborators were Henriette Blanke-Belcher, Fred Fischer, Al Sherman, Larry Stock and Joe McCarthy. Perhaps his most successful song was "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier" (1915), with music by Al Piantadosi. The song sold 650,000 copies during the first three months and became one of 1915's top-selling songs in the United States. Although Bryan himself was not a committed pacifist, he described the American public's anti-war sentiments in his lyrics.

He died in Gladstone, New Jersey, aged 86.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 15, 1871 (Brantford), Died April 1, 1958 (Gladstone)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1902 - 1949

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, composer

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 351-375 of 513 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W152696 10-in. 1/24/1934 It's an old-fashioned world after all Bob Bunch ; Enric Madriguera Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia CO40600 10-in. 4/1/1949 Rainbow Ray Smith Male vocal solo, with string band lyricist  
Columbia W351076 10-in. 7/21/1931 Give me your affection, honey Frank Auburn and his Orchestra [Selvin's Orchestra] ; Robert Wood [Scrappy Lambert] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W703013 10-in. November 1929 Canción del Nilo (Song of the Nile) : Canción El Trovador Romántico Male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh 131 10-in. ca. May 1918 Chimes of Normandy Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 137 10-in. ca. May 1918 Cleopatra Arthur Collins Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 289 10-in. ca. Aug. 1918 Cheer up Father, cheer up Mother Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 341 10-in. ca. Sept. 1918 Big Chief Kill-A-Hun Collins and Harlan Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh S-7263 10-in. Feb. 1920 Song of Omar Harry Raderman's Jazz Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
OKeh S-7269 10-in. Feb. 1920 The hen and the cow Billy Murray ; Rega Orchestra Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
OKeh S-7363 10-in. Mar. 1920 Hiawatha's melody of love Charles Hart ; Elliott Shaw Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh S-7627 10-in. Oct. 1920 Beautiful Annabell Lee Charles Hart ; Elliott Shaw Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 9784 10-in. 6/24/1926 Blue bonnet Lloyd Turner ; Villa Venice Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh S-73494 10-in. 7/2/1925 Row, row, Rosie! Arkansaw Travellers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh S-73498 10-in. July 1925 Row! Row! Rosie The Bow-Wows ; Billy Jones ; Joe Ross ; Joe Samuels Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble lyricist  
OKeh 73626 10-in. 9/17/1925 Some other bird whistled a tune Billy Jones ; The Red Hotters Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh 73745 10-in. Nov. 1925 Brown eyes, why are you blue? Justin Ring Trio ; Bruce Wallace Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio lyricist  
OKeh 73961 10-in. Jan. 1926 Where the huckleberries grow Earl Rickard Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance quintet lyricist  
OKeh 74007 10-in. Feb. 1926 Don't be afraid to come home Bruce Wallace Male vocal solo, with instrumental trio lyricist  
OKeh 74244 10-in. Aug. 1926 (There's a Blue Ridge in my heart) Virginia Eva Taylor Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
OKeh W80273 10-in. 12/30/1926 (I meet her in the moonlight but) She keeps me in the dark The Goofus Five Jazz/dance ensemble, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W80275 10-in. 1/3/1927 Usen't you used to be my sweetie? Ted Wallace and his Orchestra [Ed Kirkeby Orchestra] Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W80333 10-in. 1/25/1927 You went away too far (And stayed away too long) Russell Douglas Male vocal solo, with guitar and piano lyricist  
OKeh W80414 10-in. 2/11/1927 There's something nice about everyone (But there's everything nice about you) Frank Dailey ; Meadowbrook Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W80415 10-in. 2/11/1927 You went away too far (And stayed away too long) Frank Dailey ; Meadowbrook Orchestra ; Noel Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
(Results 351-375 of 513 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bryan, Alfred," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105828.

Bryan, Alfred. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105828.

"Bryan, Alfred." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 19 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105828

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