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 176-200 of 242 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia W151708 10-in. 8/6/1931 I apologize Robert Hood Bowers Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W152052 10-in. 12/29/1931 Oh! What a thrill (To hear it from you) Ben Selvin and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W152073 10-in. 1/18/1932 Oh! What a thrill (To hear it from you) Jack Miller Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Columbia W152105 10-in. 2/4/1932 Auf wiedersehen, my dear Mickie Alpert and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W152277 10-in. 8/18/1932 One note trumpet player Joe Haymes Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble songwriter  
Columbia W152318 10-in. 11/9/1932 Fit as a fiddle Roger Wolfe Kahn Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal quartet composer  
Columbia W152368 10-in. 2/2/1933 Black-eyed Susan Brown Edgewater Beach Hotel Orchestra ; Mark Fisher Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W152369 10-in. 2/2/1933 Lovey Edgewater Beach Hotel Orchestra ; Mark Fisher Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W152378 10-in. 2/24/1933 Meet me in the gloaming Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Columbia W152572 10-in. 12/1/1933 Surprise George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W152677 10-in. 1/12/1934 You're in my power (Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!) George Olsen and his Music Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet songwriter  
Columbia W152761 10-in. 6/4/1934 Little man, you've had a busy day Emil Coleman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W152767 10-in. 6/28/1934 The prize waltz Ben Selvin and his Orchestra ; Howard Phillips Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia C1001 10-in. 6/14/1935 Black eyed susan brown Hoosier Hot Shots Instrumental quartet, with ensemble vocal composer  
Columbia W265002 10-in. 12/8/1932 Fit as a fiddle Paul Small Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble composer  
Columbia W351044 10-in. 6/18/1931 Makin' faces at the man in the moon Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W351090 10-in. 8/25/1931 I apologize Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W351139 10-in. 1/12/1932 One little quarrel Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W351149 10-in. 1/12/1932 Auf wiedersehen, my dear Selvin’s Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W365025 10-in. 7/7/1931 Makin' faces at the man in the moon Kate Smith Female vocal solo lyricist  
Columbia W365032 10-in. 9/15/1931 I apologize Ruth Brown [Kate Smith] Female vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W365072 10-in. 3/4/1932 Auf Wiedersehen, my dear Jack Miller Male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia W703014 10-in. November 1929 Una canción para tí (I sing all my love songs to you) : Canción El Trovador Romántico Male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh 9117 10-in. 5/15/1925 Someday we'll meet again Louis Forbstein ; Rex Newman ; Royal Syncopators Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
OKeh S-71834 10-in. Sept. 1923 Marcellonie Green Brothers' Marimba-Saxo Band Jazz/dance band composer  
(Results 176-200 of 242 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hoffman, Al," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

Hoffman, Al. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

"Hoffman, Al." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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