Robert Crawford
Robert MacArthur Crawford (July 27, 1899 – March 12, 1961) is known for writing The U.S. Air Force song. He was born in Dawson City, Yukon, and spent his childhood in Fairbanks, Alaska. He graduated high school in 1915 at Chehalis High School in Chehalis, Washington. During World War I he attempted to become a pilot in the United States Army Air Service but was dismissed when he was discovered to be underage. He attended the Case Scientific Institute in Cleveland, known today as Case Western Reserve University, where he was a member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Crawford then enrolled in Princeton University, and graduated in 1925. He later studied and taught at the Juilliard School of Music. Crawford learned how to fly an airplane in 1923. He flew himself around the United States in a small plane to concerts, where he was introduced as "The Flying Baritone." Liberty magazine sponsored a contest in 1938 for a musical composition that would become the official song of the U.S. Army Air Corps. Out of 757 submissions, Crawford's was chosen as the winner. The song was officially introduced at the Cleveland Air Races on Sept. 2, 1939, where Crawford sang its first public rendition. During World War II, Crawford flew for the Air Transport Command of the U.S. Army Air Forces. In 1947, Crawford joined the University of Miami's music faculty. He remained there for ten years, until he left to focus on composing. |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 27, 1899 (Dawson City), Died March 12, 1961 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BS-071669 | 10-in. | 1/27/1942 | The Army Air Corps (Official song of the United States Army Air Corps) | Alvino Rey Orchestra ; Four King Sisters ; Bill Schallen | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and female vocal quartet | composer | |
Victor | BS-071947 | 10-in. | 2/19/1942 | The Army Air Corps | Four Clubmen ; Leonard W. Joy ; Victor Military Band | Band, with male vocal quartet | composer | |
Columbia | 91472 | 10-in. | approximately 1924 | Sea of dreams | Princeton Triangle Club Jazz Band | Jazz/dance band | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Crawford, Robert," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110272.
Crawford, Robert. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/110272.
"Crawford, Robert." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Robert MacArthur Crawford
Discogs: Robert Crawford
Grove: Robert Crawford
IMDb: Robert Crawford
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Crawford, Robert, 1899-1961 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no96030521
Wikidata: Robert MacArthur Crawford - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q7347206
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/96796897
MusicBrainz: Robert MacArthur Crawford - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ee1f072e-b627-4ee1-bf33-b2b787c93985
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