[ Richard Whiting ]
b. Nov. 12, 1891, Peoria, Illinois, USA, d. Feb. 10, 1938, Beverly Hills, CA, USA.
Overview
Composer Richard Whiting was active in the 1920's and 1930's. Stage-Struck as a boy, he bagan writing songs. In the 1920's, he worked out of the Detroit office of Remick Music Corp., with lyricists Ray Egan and Gus Kahn. During the 1930's, while he scored some Broadway shows (1931), he did most of his work for Hollywood films, writing in collaboration with many different lyricists. His legacy to future generations, included his daughters Barbara and Margaret Whiting, who was an international star vocalist from the 1940's through the 1980's.
Richard was raised in a very musical environment. His father, a real estate agent, was proficient on several instruments, and his mother was a trained pianist.
After graduating from a L.A. military academy, be got jobs singing in vaudeville shows. He had met Marshall Neilan, a Pierce Arrow chauffeur who later was to become a motion pictures director, and together they formed a vaudeville act, which endeavor turned out to be unsuccessful. By 1913, 22 years old and realizing his singing limitations, he got a job with the Detroit office of the Jerome H. Remick Music Corp., for $25.00 per week. He supplemented this, with $10.00 a week, by playing piano at night in a local hotel where he was backed by six native Hawaiians.
It is interesting to note that during his two years in Detroit, he worked with lyricists Gus Kahn and Ray Egan, who had come over from Chicago for the express purpose of working with him. When he came to New York, in the very late 1920's, Remick Music sent him to Hollywood, where he worked with Paramount Pictures. He returned to New York and in 1931, he scored two Broadway shows, and almost immediately returned to Hollywood; first working with Fox studios, and then with the Warner Brothers studio, where he collaborated with lyricist Johnny Mercer.
Brief Chronology:
1914 Wrote "I Wonder Where My Lovin' Man Has Gone", lyric Earle C.
Jones.
1915 "It's Tulip Time in Holland", lyric Dave Radford, A hit that
sold over a million copies in just a few months. But, he had
sold the tune outright and so never received any royalties.
1916 "Mammy's Little Coal Black Rose", lyric by Ray Egan. Al
Jolson sang it in the Broadway production of 'Robinson
Crusoe, Jr.'.
"They Call It Dixieland", lyric by Ray Egan.
"Where the Blackeyed Susans Grow", lyric by Egan
In 1918, his "Til We Meet Again", with lyric by Egan, sold 5 million
copies.
1919 Scored the Broadway show 'Toot-Sweet'
1919 Wrote the songs for George White's Scandals of 1919
Other of his songs include:
"Horses". lyric by Bryon Gay (A big 'novelty' hit of the day.)
"Honey", lyric Haven Gillespie
"Some Sunday Morning", lyric Gus Kahn and Ray Egan. A Jolson hit.
1920 "The Japanese Sandman", lyric by Ray Egan
1921 "Ain't We Got Fun?", both music and lyric by Whiting.
1924 "Sleepy Time Gal", lyric by Egan. And with musical
collaboration with Ange Lorenzo and Joseph R. Alden
1925 "Ukulele Lady", lyric by Gus Kahn
1926 "Breezin' Along with the Breeze;"
1928 "She's Funny That Way", with Neil Moret (a pseudonym for
Charles N. Daniels)
In 1929, he accepted a bid from Paramount. He was assigned to work
with Lyricist Leo Robin on songs for Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette
MacDonald. It is interesting to note that Whiting spent only nine
years writing for Hollywood films, yet he produced over 50 hit songs
in this short period. He worked first for Paramount Pictures, then
for Fox Films, and finally for the Warner Brothers.
1929 for film 'Innocents of Paris', starring Maurice Chevalier.
"Louise", Lyric by Leo Robin.
for Film, 'Dance of Life', the song.
"True Blue Lou", lyric by Leo Robin and Sam Coslow.
for film 'Sweetie', the song,
"My Sweeter Than Sweet", lyric by George Marion, Jr.
for film 'Safety in Numbers', the song,
"My Future Just Passed", lyric by Geo. Marion, Jr.
1930 for film, 'Playboy of Paris', starring Maurice Chevalier.
"My Ideal", Lyric by Leo Robin. with music in collaboration
with Newell Chase.
for film 'Monte Carlo', the songs,
"Beyond the Blue Horizon", Lyric by Robin and music in
collaboration with W. Franke Harling.
"Give Me a Moment Please", Lyric by Robin and music in
collaboration with W. Franke Harling
1930 "All I Want Is One (Girl)", Leo Robin Lyric.
1931 Scored the Broadway show 'Free For All'
1932 Scored the Broadway show 'Take a Chance, Ethel Merman sang
"Eadie Was a Lady", lyric by Buddy De Sylva.
"You're an Old Smoothie", lyric by Buddy De Sylva.
In 1933, he started work for Fox Films.
1934 "On the Good Ship Lollipop", lyric by Sidney Clare
In 1935, he joined the Warner Bros.
1936 for film 'Sing, Baby, Sing', the song,
"When Did You Leave Heaven?", lyric by Walter Bullock
1937 for film 'Varsity Show',
"Have You Got Any Castles, Baby"
1937 for film 'Ready, Willing and Able', the song,
"Too Marvelous for Words", lyric Johnny Mercer
1938 "Hooray for Hollywood."
1938 for film, 'The Cowboy From Brooklyn' Dick Powell sang,
"I've Got a Heart Full of Music", lyric by Johnny Mercer.
He was just 46 years of age when he suffered a heart attack and died in 1938, at the peak of his career. He was survived by his two daughters, Barbara and Margaret Whiting, both of whom became singers. In 1940, his daughter, Margaret Whiting, made her singing debut on Johnny Mercer's NBC Radio show. Her first song was 'Too Marvelous for Words".
Whiting was elected to the Songwriters' National Hall of Fame.