Tommie Connor
Thomas Patrick "Tommie" Connor (16 November 1904 – 28 November 1993) was an English songwriter,[1] credited with several hit songs over his long career.[2] Most notable among these was "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", which has been recorded by many artists and is among the most-played Christmas songs played on American radio. This was one of several non-religious Christmas songs that he wrote, others being "The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot" and "I'm Sending a Letter to Santa".
Tommie Connor | |
|---|---|
 Tommie Connor in New York City circa 1980 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Thomas Patrick Connor |
| Born | 16 November 1904 Bloomsbury, London, England |
| Died | 28 November 1993 (aged 89) Farnborough, Kent, England |
| Genres | Contemporary classical, Christmas music |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
He was born and raised in the Bloomsbury, London, England,[1] to parents of Irish descent. Connor worked for two years as a steward aboard the RMS Empress of France, before returning to England with the intention of earning his living as a songwriter. His first published song was "My Home Town" in 1932, which was recorded by Little Mary Hagen.[1]
Connor had five children of his own, born to his wife Catherine Connor (née McCarthy). He lived in London for most of his life interspersed with spells in parts of the United States, mainly Los Angeles, California and New York.
In the 1966 Spaghetti Western, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, he provided lyrics to "The Story of a Soldier".[3]
Connor died in November 1993, in Farnborough, Kent, England.[1]
Catalog
Songs with Connor given writing credits, as well as recording artists include:
| Title | Artist(s) |
|---|---|
| "My Home Town" (1932) | |
| "Jump on the Wagon" (1935) | |
| "It's My Mother's Birthday Today" (1935) | Arthur Tracy |
| "I Once Had a Heart Margarita" (1935) | |
| "When the Guardsman Started Crooning on Parade" (1935) | |
| "It's Never Too Late to Mend" (1937) | |
| "The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot" (1937) | Vera Lynn |
| "(Underneath) The (Spreading) Chestnut Tree" (1938) | Glenn Miller |
| "The Biggest Aspidistra in the World" (1938) | Gracie Fields |
| "Who's Taking You Home Tonight?" (1939) | |
| "Til the Lights of London Shine Again" (1939) | |
| "I'm Spending Christmas with the Old Folks" (1940) | |
| "If Tears Could Bring You Back" (1940) | |
| "The Little Boy Who Never Told a Lie" (1940) | |
| "I've Got You Where I Want You" (1940) | |
| "Was it the Orchids You Wore?" (1941) | |
| "Ridin' Home On The Buggy In The Moonlight" (1941) | |
| "Thanks To Love" (1941) | |
| "Not A Cloud In The Sky" (1942) | |
| "Be Like The Kettle And Sing" (1943) | Vera Lynn |
| "I Love to Sing" (1943) | Vera Lynn in Rhythm Serenade |
| "The Lover's Lullaby" (1943) | Geraldo and his orchestra |
| "Lili Marlene" (1944) | Perry Como, Vera Lynn, Anne Shelton |
| "My Beautiful Sarie Marais" (1945) | |
| "It's Good To See You Honey" (1945) | |
| "The Wedding of the Royal Princess" (1947) | |
| "Down in the Glen" (1947) | |
| "Hang on the Bell, Nellie" (1948) | |
| "It Began With a Tango" (1948) | Gracie Fields |
| "Hold Me Just a Little Closer Dear" (1948) | Anne Shelton |
| "When the Heather Gleams Like Stardust (In the Glen)" (1949) | Robert Wilson |
| "The Scottish Samba" (1949) | |
| "Addormentarmi Cosi (So Ends My Search for a Dream)" (1949) | |
| "The Wedding of Lili Marlene" (1949) | |
| "Tipperary Samba" (1950) | |
| "Sleepy Eyes" (1950) | |
| "The Rose I Bring You" (1950) | |
| "My Christmas Wish" (1950) | |
| "The Village of Christmas Pie" (1950) | |
| "When You Talk About Old Ireland" (1950) | Josef Locke |
| "Five Minutes to Midnight" (1951) | The Radio Revellers |
| "Rosaline" (1951) | Joe Loss |
| "Lilli Marlene's Lullaby" (1952) | |
| "The Homing Waltz" (1952) | Phil Tate |
| "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (1952) | Jimmy Boyd, The Beverley Sisters |
| "Arriverderci (Till Our Next Meeting)" (1952) | Gracie Fields |
| "(We Must Have Safety On) The Queens Highway" (1953) | |
| "Kiss Me Again" (1953) | |
| "The Engagement Waltz" (1955) | |
| "Never Do A Tango With An Eskimo" (1955) | Alma Cogan |
| "Give Her My Love (When You Meet Her)" (1956) | |
| "Rooney" (1958) | |
| "I'm Backing Britain" (1968) | Bruce Forsyth |
| "O'Rafferty's Motor Car" | Val Doonican |
References
- Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 297. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- "Tommie Connor". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- Leinberger, Charles. Ennio Morricone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: A Film Score Guide. Google Books. p. 92.
External links
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