Songwriter/Composer/Lyricist. The son of a piano teacher, he never had any formal musical training, but showed early talent writing songs for his high school productions. After working briefly as a clerk in a Wall Street brokerage, he landed a $15/hour job as a demonstrator for music publishers, but was fired after being caught writing his own music during business hours. His first published song, "Back Home in Tennessee" (lyrics William Jerome) came in 1915, but his first hit came the following year with "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady" (lyrics Monty C. Brice). 1919 brought another hit, "How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm?". That same year he joined the Irving Berlin Music Company, staying for 10 years and writing, among others, "My Mammy" (lyrics Sam Lewis & Joe Young), "My Buddy" (lyrics Gus Kahn) , "Carolina in the Morning" (lyrics Gus Kahn), "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "My Blue Heaven" (lyrics George Whiting), "Love Me or Leave Me", "My Baby Just Cares for Me" and "Makin' Whoopie". He left Berlin's publishing company in 1928 to move to Hollywood and form his own company, Donaldson, Douglas & Gumble. He contributed songs to many film musicals including Glorifying the American Girl, Kid Millions, The Great Ziegfeld, Suzi, Panama Hattie and Follow the Boys. Ill heath forced him to retire in 1943 and he died four years later. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Songwriter/Composer/Lyricist. The son of a piano teacher, he never had any formal musical training, but showed early talent writing songs for his high school productions. After working briefly as a clerk in a Wall Street brokerage, he landed a $15/hour job as a demonstrator for music publishers, but was fired after being caught writing his own music during business hours. His first published song, "Back Home in Tennessee" (lyrics William Jerome) came in 1915, but his first hit came the following year with "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady" (lyrics Monty C. Brice). 1919 brought another hit, "How Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm?". That same year he joined the Irving Berlin Music Company, staying for 10 years and writing, among others, "My Mammy" (lyrics Sam Lewis & Joe Young), "My Buddy" (lyrics Gus Kahn) , "Carolina in the Morning" (lyrics Gus Kahn), "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "My Blue Heaven" (lyrics George Whiting), "Love Me or Leave Me", "My Baby Just Cares for Me" and "Makin' Whoopie". He left Berlin's publishing company in 1928 to move to Hollywood and form his own company, Donaldson, Douglas & Gumble. He contributed songs to many film musicals including Glorifying the American Girl, Kid Millions, The Great Ziegfeld, Suzi, Panama Hattie and Follow the Boys. Ill heath forced him to retire in 1943 and he died four years later. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Bio by: TomDuse
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