Will D. Cobb

Will D. Cobb (né William Denight Cobb; July 5, 1876, Philadelphia – January 20, 1930, New York City) was an American lyricist and composer. He and a partner, Ren Shields, produced several popular musicals and musical comedies in the early 20th century. Cobb also had a long-run collaboration with Gus Edwards.[1][2]

Will D. Cobb - 1906

Personal life

Cobb was born July 5, 1876, in Philadelphia,[2] and grew up there, but also lived several years in New York City. Cobb graduated 1893 from Girard College in Philadelphia.[3] Before becoming a songwriter, he worked as a salesman in a department store.[1] Cobb died January 20, 1930, in Manhattan, New York City, and was buried in Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.[3]

Career

Cobb was a prolific lyricist and composer in the early 1900s. His career spanned from approximately 1901 through the late 1920s. Early in his career, he collaborated with Ren Shields, best known for his hit, In the Good Old Summer Time. Over the course of his career, he worked with Buddy DeSylva, George Gershwin, Harry Ruby, and Earl Carroll, among others. He joined ASCAP in 1927, his chief musical collaborator was Gus Edwards.[4]

He is responsible for writing the line still sung by schoolchildren in the United States, "School days, school days; dear old golden rule days. Readin' and 'ritin' and 'rithmetic; taught to the tune of a hick'ry stick," which came from his song, School Days, published in 1907.[5]

In 1897, Cobb wrote the lyrics and Paul Barnes[lower-alpha 1] composed the music to the Spanish–American War-era song "Goodbye, Dolly Gray." In the early 1900s, the song was adopted with re-written lyrics, as the theme song for the Australian Football League club, Collingwood.[6][7]

Productions

Broadway
  • Tintypes — Musical revue featuring songs by Will D. Cobb — Oct 23, 1980 - Jan 11, 1981[2]
  • The French Doll — Musical with lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Feb 20, 1922 - Jun 03, 1922[2]
  • Ziegfeld Follies of 1913 — Musical revue with additional music by Will D. Cobb — Jun 16, 1913 - Sep 06, 1913[2]
  • Ziegfeld Follies of 1910 — Musical revue featuring songs by Will D. Cobb — Jun 20, 1910 - Sep 03, 1910[2]
  • The Boys and Betty — Musical featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Nov 2, 1908 - Feb 6, 1909[2]
  • School Days — musical, lyrics for Sunbonnet Sue by Will D. Cobb — Sep 14, 1908 - Oct 10, 1908[2]
  • The-Merry-Go-Round — musical comedy, lyrics to The Shop Window Girls by Will D. Cobb — Apr 25, 1908 - Jul 18, 1908[2]
  • A Parisian Model — musical comedy with interpolated songs by Will D. Cobb — Jan 6, 1908 - Jan 25, 1908[2]
  • His Honor the Mayor — musical comedy revival with music by Cobb and Shields — Nov 25, 1907 - Dec 7, 1907[2]
  • Hip! Hip! Hooray! — musical comedy, lyrics for You'll Never Know What Love Is Until I Love You by Will D. Cobb — Oct 10, 1907 - Dec 7, 1907[2]
  • The Gay White Way — musical revue featuring Dixie Dan by Will D. Cobb — Oct 7, 1907 - Jan 4, 1908[2]
  • The Girl Behind the Counter — musical comedy featuring The Cherry in the Glass by Will D. Cobb — Oct 1, 1907 - Jun 6, 1908[2]
  • Ziegfeld Follies of 1907 — musical revue featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Jul 8, 1907 - Nov 10, 1907[2]
  • His Honor the Mayor — musical comedy with music by Cobb and Shields — Jun 3, 1907 - Jun 15, 1907[2]
  • A Parisian Model — musical with additional numbers by Mr. Cobb — Nov 27, 1906 - Jun 29, 1907[2]
  • About Town — musical revue, with additional lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Nov 15, 1906 - Dec 29, 1906[2]
  • His Honor the Mayor — musical with Music by Cobb and Shields — Sep 17, 1906 - Sep 29, 1906[2]
  • About Town — musical revue with additional numbers by Will D. Cobb — Aug 30, 1906 - Nov 10, 1906[2]
  • His Honor the Mayor - musical comedy with additional lyrics by Cobb and Shields — May 28, 1906 - Aug 25, 1906[2]
  • Woodland — musical, featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Nov 21, 1904 - Aug 1905[2]
  • Mrs. Black Is Back musical, featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Nov 07, 1904 - Apr 01, 1905[2]
  • The Wizard of Oz — songs with Gus Edwards — Mar 21, 1904 - Nov 25, 1905[2]
  • The Medal and the Maid — musical comedy — lyrics for "In Zanzibar" by Will D. Cobb — Jan 11, 1904 - Mar 1904[2]
  • Mr. Bluebeard — musical, with additional numbers by Will D. Cobb — Jan 21, 1903 - May 16, 1903[2]
  • The Wizard of Oz — songs with Gus Edwards — Jan 20, 1903 - Oct 03, 1903[2]
  • The Supper Club — musical comedy, music & lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Dec 23, 1901 - Jan 25, 1902[2]
  • The Strollers — musical comedy, additional lyrics by Will D. Cobb — Jun 24, 1901 - Aug 31, 1901[2]

Songs, as lyricist

The Morse Music Company

Howley, Haviland & Co.

  • I Couldn't Stand To See My Baby Lose" (1899), Gus Edwards (music)

F. A. Mills Music Publisher

  • "I'll be with you when the roses bloom again" (1901), Gus Edwards (music)[10]
  • "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie" (1906), Ren Shields (music)

T. B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter, Inc.

M. Witmark & Sons

The Song Review Company

Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

  • "Keep on A-Going" (1904), Gus Edwards (music)[9]
  • "The Tale of a Cassowary" (1904), Gus Edwards (music)[12]
  • "Johnny I'll Take You" (1904), Gus Edwards (music) OCLC 26007446, 1061687455, 1061679140
  • "I'll Never Love Another Love Like I Love You" (1904), Gus Edwards (music); OCLC 26773731, 1061647573, 1061682979
  • "Sunbonnet Sue" (1908), Gus Edwards (music)

Jos. W. Stern & Co.

Delmar Music

  • "School Days (When We Were A Couple of Kids)" (1907), Gus Edwards (music)[13]

Other publishers

  • "I Love Only One Girl in the Wide, Wide World" (1903), Gus Edwards (music)[14]

Notes and references

Notes
  1. Paul Barnes (pseudonym of George Franklin Feger; 1870 Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania – 8 May 1922 New York City) was a vaudeville actor and a second-generation musician, notably, a songwriter. His father, Pvt. William J. Feger, was a musician who, as an E♭ cornetist, served in the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment Band during the American Civil War under the command of Brig. Gen James Nagle.

References
  1. "Will D. Cobb Biography". imdb.com. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  2. "Will D. Cobb". ibdb.com. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  3. "William "Will" D. Cobb, songwriter". Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  4. "Will D. Cobb". IMDb. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  5. "Quotation by Will D. Cobb". dictionary.com.
  6. "Goodbye Dolly Gray". FirstWorldWar.com. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  7. "Club Songs". AFL.
  8. "Goodbye Dolly Gray". International Lyrics Playground. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  9. Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music - Volume 1. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 41, 194, 198, 214, 339, 426. ISBN 0-7864-2798-1.
  10. "I'll be with you when the roses bloom again". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
  11. Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music - Volume 2. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 476, 545, 650, 759, 823. ISBN 0-7864-2799-X.
  12. "Music from the Wizard of Oz Stage Show". Library of Congress. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  13. "School Days, School Days". National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  14. "I love only one Girl in this wide, wide World". Amazon.com. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
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