Ballard MacDonald

Ballard MacDonald (October 15, 1882 – November 17, 1935) was an American lyricist, who was one of the writers of Tin Pan Alley.

Born in Portland, Oregon, he was a charter member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

MacDonald wrote lyrics for a song called "Play That Barber-Shop Chord" in 1910, which became a hit with revised lyrics when it was sung in The Ziegfeld Follies by vaudeville star Bert Williams. He subsequently worked with composer Harry Carroll on "On the Mississippi" (1912) and "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine" (1912, based on the million-selling novel). He also partnered with James F. Hanley, which produced the 1917 hit "(Back Home Again In) Indiana.

In the early '20s, MacDonald turned his attention to Broadway revues, which in 1924 brought him his most notable musical collaborator in George Gershwin. In 1926, MacDonald teamed up with Walter Donaldson to write songs for the Broadway show Sweetheart Time

Thumbs Up was MacDonald's final Broadway show. He died in Forest Hills, New York.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1882 (Portland), Died 1935 (Queens)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1910 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, author, composer

Recordings (Results 126-150 of 266 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 77711 10-in. 3/5/1918 Three wonderful letters from home Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78154 10-in. 10/24/1918 Dreaming of home, sweet home Sterling Trio Male vocal trio, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78183 10-in. 11/20/1918 Beautiful Ohio Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78302 10-in. 2/15/1919 On a little farm in Normandie Peerless Quartet Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78313 10-in. 2/20/1919 Just another good man gone wrong Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 78376 10-in. 4/1/1919 Just another good man gone wrong Louisiana Five Jazz/dance band composer  
Columbia 78520 10-in. 6/21/1919 Breeze (Blow my baby back to me) Arthur Fields ; Jack Kaufman Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78567 10-in. 7/15/1919 Dreamy Alabama Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78625 10-in. 9/6/1919 Indiana Knickerbocker Male Quartette Male vocal quartet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78637 10-in. 9/10/1919 Broken blossoms Charles Harrison Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78643 10-in. 9/12/1919 Broken blossoms George Meader Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78774 10-in. 10/30/1919 You can't get lovin' where there ain't any love Louisiana Five ; Billy Murray Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia 78778 10-in. 10/31/1919 Beautiful Ohio Toots Paka Hawaiian Company Male vocal and instrumental ensemble, with guitars and ukulele (Hawaiian) lyricist  
Columbia 78835 10-in. 12/2/1919 Somebody Bert Williams Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78878 10-in. 12/20/1919 Comrades Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78916 10-in. 1/8/1920 That wonderful kid from Madrid Al Jolson Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 78983 10-in. 2/19/1920 Lazy Mississippi Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 79084 10-in. 3/27/1920 Rose of Washington Square Henry Burr Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 79126 10-in. 4/18/1920 Ten little bottles Bert Williams Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 79870 10-in. 5/28/1921 Mimi (Mee-mee) Frank Crumit ; Paul Biese Trio Instrumental trio, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia 140169 10-in. 12/6/1924 At the end of the road Lewis James Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 49342 12-in. 3/14/1918 A little bit of sunshine Nora Bayes Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia W141282 10-in. 11/18/1925 Clap hands! Here comes Charley! Georgians ; Johnny Morris Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia 141358 10-in. 12/7/1925 Clap hands! Here comes Charley! Arthur Fields Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
Columbia W141922 10-in. 4/6/1926 Hot Henry! Arthur Fields ; Little Ramblers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
(Results 126-150 of 266 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "MacDonald, Ballard," accessed March 5, 2021, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106626.

MacDonald, Ballard. (2021). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 5, 2021, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106626.

"MacDonald, Ballard." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2021. Web. 5 March 2021.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106626

External Sources

Wikipedia: Ballard MacDonald

Discogs: MacDonald, Ballard

Allmusic: MacDonald, Ballard

Linked Open Data Sources

LCNAR: MacDonald, Ballard - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n92082998

Wikidata: Ballard MacDonald - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4353485

VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/34722957/

MusicBrainz: MacDonald, Ballard - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ab00597c-43f1-41c4-98ee-6934dcd4179c

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