Edgar Leslie (December 31, 1885 – January 22, 1976) was an American songwriter.

Edgar Leslie
BornDecember 31, 1885
Stamford, Connecticut, United States
DiedJanuary 22, 1976 (aged 90)
EducationCooper Union
Occupation(s)Composer, lyricist
Years active1909-c.late 1950s
AwardsSongwriters Hall of Fame (1972)

Biography

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Edgar Leslie was born in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1885.[1] He studied at the Cooper Union in New York. He published his first song in 1909, starting a long prolific career as a composer and lyricist. He died in 1976.[1]

Musical career

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Come On Papa sheet music

Leslie's first song, "Lonesome" (1909), was an immediate success, recorded by the Haydn Quartet and again by Byron G. Harlan. Other notable artists recorded his early works. Among them were Nat M. Wills, Julian Rose, Belle Baker, Lew Dockstader, James Barton and Joe Welch.[2]

A founding member of ASCAP in 1914. In 1927, he traveled to England and collaborated with Horatio Nicholls on several songs, most notably "Among My Souvenirs".[1] Leslie served as its director from 1931 to 1941 and from 1947 to 1953. His most enduring success of the era was probably 1935's "Moon Over Miami".[1] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.[3]

Leslie's best-known songs include "Among My Souvenirs", "Come On Papa", "For Me And My Gal", "Getting Some Fun Out of Life", "Hello, Hawaii, How Are You?", "Girls of France", and "Moon Over Miami".[4]

Selected works

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Edgar Leslie | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  2. ^ Tin Pan Alley: an encyclopedia of the golden age of American song by David A. Jasen, (New York: Routledge, 2003.) p. 248-249
  3. ^ Edgar Leslie biography. songwritershalloffame.org. Retrieved: April 29, 2013.
  4. ^ Edgar Leslie song catalog. Archived 2016-03-10 at the Wayback Machine songwritershalloffame.org. Retrieved: April 29, 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Parker, Bernard S. (2007). World War I Sheet Music - Volume 1. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 28, 32, 39, 52, 74, 84, 103, 115, 176, 180, 321, 363, 369. ISBN 978-0-7864-2798-7.
  6. ^ David Ewen (1987). American Songwriters: An H.W. Wilson Biographical Dictionary. H.W. Wilson. p. 287. ISBN 978-0-8242-0744-1.
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