Al Hoffman

Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American song composer. He was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number-one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today. He was posthumously made a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. The popularity of Hoffman's song, "Mairzy Doats", co-written with Jerry Livingston and Milton Drake, was such that newspapers and magazines wrote about the craze. Time magazine titled one article "Our Mairzy Dotage". The New York Times simply wrote the headline, "That Song".

Hoffman's songs were recorded by singers such as Frank Sinatra ("Close To You", "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die"), Billy Eckstine ("I Apologize") Perry Como ("Papa Loves Mambo", "Hot Diggity"), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ("Who Walks In When I Walk Out"), Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, the Merry Macs, Sophie Tucker, Eartha Kitt, Patsy Cline, Patti Page ("Allegheny Moon") and Bette Midler. In October, 2007, Hoffman's "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" was the lead single from Queen Latifah's album, Trav'lin' Light.

Though Hoffman had apparently little connection to Chicago, he wrote the Chicago Bears fight song "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" in 1941 under the pseudonym Jerry Downs.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 25, 1902 (Stoŭbcy District), Died July 21, 1960 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1950

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

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

Recordings (Results 226-242 of 242 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Brunswick C6122 10-in. Aug. 1930 In my heart it’s you Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter  
Brunswick C6123 10-in. Aug. 1930 In my heart it’s you Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) songwriter  
Brunswick C6128 10-in. Aug. 1930 Good evenin’ Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal; without vocal (take G) songwriter  
Brunswick LAE474 10-in. 4/25/1929 That’s what I call sweet music Earl Burtnett ; Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and vocal trio; without vocal (take G) composer  
Brunswick TCL1535 10-in. 9/23/1931 I apologize Dixie Lee Female vocal solo songwriter  
Brunswick B23761 10-in. 11/28/1938 You're gonna see a lot of me Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo songwriter  
Edison 7674 10-in. 12/10/1920 Good as gold Max Fells' Della Robbia Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Edison N-1077 10-in. 8/19/1929 In the hush of the night Melville Morris ; Piccadilly Players Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio composer  
Gramophone 0EA2637 10-in. 12/4/1935 Everything stops for tea Jack Hylton Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Gramophone 0EA2662 10-in. 1/3/1936 She shall have music Jack Hylton Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter  
Gramophone 0EA2664 10-in. 1/3/1936 My first thrill Jack Hylton Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Gramophone 0EA2665 10-in. 1/3/1936 May all your troubles be little ones Jack Hylton Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter  
Gramophone 0EA2675 10-in. 1/19/1936 Moanin' Minnie Jack Hylton Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Gramophone 0EA2693 10-in. 2/4/1936 This'll make you whistle Jack Hylton Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with vocal songwriter  
Gramophone 0B4634 10-in. 7/12/1933 Roll up the carpet Ray Noble Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor (Canada) 7355 10-in. 1/8/1932 Auf Wiedersehen, my dear Jack Denny Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor (Canada) 7358 10-in. 1/9/1932 Oh! What a thrill (to hear it from you) Jack Denny Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
(Results 226-242 of 242 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hoffman, Al," accessed April 19, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

Hoffman, Al. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

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

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280

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