Orchestra Leader, Composer, Vaudeville Personality and Recording Artist. Born in Germany and brought to the U.S. in his first year. Though largely forgotten today, Paul Ash was a significant show business personality in the Jazz Age 1920s, and with his wavy hair and resonant voice, had quite a female fan following. He was a pioneer in elevating the orchestra from secondary status as an accompanist to a featured role on the Broadway stage. In the days when movie houses featured live entertainment before showing the film, Paul Ash was the first of a flock of "personality emcees" (including one who later went to Hollywood--Dick Powell), setting the pattern for "presentation" theaters--touching off a boxoffice bonanza and a boom in the building of movie houses. He recorded several hit songs: "Rememb'ring" (Brunswick, 1924), with his Granada Orchestra, "My Pet" (Columbia, 1928) and "Shadows on the Swanee" (Columbia, 1933). He also penned Kay Kyser's theme "Thinking of You." Other compositions included "I'm Knee Deep in Daisies," "I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart," "Hoosier Sweetheart," "Gonna Get a Girl," "It's a Happy Old World After All," "Rosa Lee" and "You're Wonderful." Ash disbanded his orchestra in 1936 and became the musical director and conductor for the Roxy Theatre in New York, retiring in 1952. He died at his home at 450 East Sixty-Third St., leaving his wife Ida Gold Ash, daughter, Jean Ash and sister, Clara Demper.
Orchestra Leader, Composer, Vaudeville Personality and Recording Artist. Born in Germany and brought to the U.S. in his first year. Though largely forgotten today, Paul Ash was a significant show business personality in the Jazz Age 1920s, and with his wavy hair and resonant voice, had quite a female fan following. He was a pioneer in elevating the orchestra from secondary status as an accompanist to a featured role on the Broadway stage. In the days when movie houses featured live entertainment before showing the film, Paul Ash was the first of a flock of "personality emcees" (including one who later went to Hollywood--Dick Powell), setting the pattern for "presentation" theaters--touching off a boxoffice bonanza and a boom in the building of movie houses. He recorded several hit songs: "Rememb'ring" (Brunswick, 1924), with his Granada Orchestra, "My Pet" (Columbia, 1928) and "Shadows on the Swanee" (Columbia, 1933). He also penned Kay Kyser's theme "Thinking of You." Other compositions included "I'm Knee Deep in Daisies," "I'd Love to Call You My Sweetheart," "Hoosier Sweetheart," "Gonna Get a Girl," "It's a Happy Old World After All," "Rosa Lee" and "You're Wonderful." Ash disbanded his orchestra in 1936 and became the musical director and conductor for the Roxy Theatre in New York, retiring in 1952. He died at his home at 450 East Sixty-Third St., leaving his wife Ida Gold Ash, daughter, Jean Ash and sister, Clara Demper.
Bio by: James Lacy
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