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 novel of the same name). He also partnered with James F. Hanley, which produced the 1917 hit "(Back Home Again in) Indiana".

In the early 1920s, 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 October 15, 1882 (Portland), Died November 17, 1935 (Queens)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1910 - 1949

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

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

Recordings (Results 176-200 of 273 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W148960 10-in. 8/30/1929 A year from today Al Katz Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia 148980 10-in. 9/6/1929 A year from to-day Jim Andrews ; Paul Specht Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia 149493 10-in. 11/26/1929 Hoosier hop Tom Frawley ; Sam Lanin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia 149495 10-in. 11/26/1929 I'm following you! Tom Frawley ; Sam Lanin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W149496 10-in. 11/26/1929 I'm sailing on a sunbeam! Johnny Morris ; Paul Specht Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W149497 10-in. 11/26/1929 I'm following you! Paul Specht Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio lyricist  
Columbia W149922 10-in. 1/28/1930 Kickin' a hole in the sky Ipana Troubadours Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia [W]149973 10-in. 2/11/1930 I'm following you! Gay Ellis Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia W150033 10-in. 2/27/1930 I'm following you Blue Grass Boys ; Lee Morse Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia W150800 10-in. 9/12/1930 Since they're all playing miniature golf Eddie Walters Male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W150858 10-in. 10/3/1930 Somebody loves me Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet lyricist  
Columbia W151891 10-in. 11/27/1931 Bend down, sister Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W98474 12-in. 3/2/1928 Beautiful Ohio Eddie Thomas’ Collegians [Columbians] ; Lewis James ; Elliott Shaw Jazz/dance band, with male vocal duet lyricist  
Columbia W100343 10-in. 11/26/1929 I'm sailing on a sunbeam! Paul Specht Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio lyricist  
Columbia W351138 10-in. 11/27/1931 Bend down, sister Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh 585 10-in. ca. Jan. 1919 Beautiful Ohio Henry Burr ; Ruth Lenox Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh 591 10-in. approximately Feb. 1919 Just another good man gone wrong Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
OKeh S-7069 10-in. ca. Nov. 1919 That wonderful kid from Madrid Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh S-7965 10-in. June 1921 Mimi (Mee Mee) Rega Orchestra ; Aileen Stanley Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
OKeh S-73038 10-in. 12/18/1924 It takes a little rain with the sunshine Fiddlin' John Carson Male vocal solo, with fiddle (violin) lyricist  
OKeh W80993 10-in. 6/8/1927 Charlie boy (We love you) Noel Taylor Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
OKeh W81808 10-in. 11/10/1927 Oh! My operation Jack Lynch Male vocal solo, with piano lyricist  
OKeh W400846 10-in. 7/2/1928 On the night we did the boom boom by the sea Fred Hall ; Sugar Babies Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W401035 10-in. 7/28/1928 Indiana Eddie Condon's Quartet Jazz/dance quartet, with male vocal solo lyricist  
OKeh W401151 10-in. 9/26/1928 I loved you then as I love you now Richard Jordon Pipe organ solo, with male vocal solo lyricist  
(Results 176-200 of 273 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "MacDonald, Ballard," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106626.

MacDonald, Ballard. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106626.

"MacDonald, Ballard." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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