University of Nebraska - Lincoln
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Faculty Publications: School of Music
Music, School of
6-2016
A Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Bob
Cole: Materials for a Biography
Peter M. Lefferts
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicfacpub
Lefferts, Peter M., "A Chronology and Itinerary of the Career of Bob Cole: Materials for a Biography" (2016). Faculty Publications:
School of Music. Paper 56.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/musicfacpub/56
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07/29/2016
AChronologyandItineraryoftheCareerofBobCole:
MaterialsforaBiography
PeterM.Lefferts
UniversityofNebraska-Lincoln
Thisdocumentisoneinaseries---"ChronologyandItineraryoftheCareerof"---devotedto
asmallnumberofAfricanAmericanmusiciansactiveca.1900-1950.Theyarefalloutfrom
myworkonapairofessays,"USArmyBlackRegimentalBandsandTheAppointmentsof
TheirFirstBlackBandmasters"(2013)and"BlackUSArmyBandsandTheirBandmasters
inWorldWarI"(2012).InallcasesIhaveputintosomekindoforderanumberof
biographicalresearchnotes,principallydrawinguponnewspaperandgenealogy
databases.Noneofthemisanykindoffinished,polisheddocument;allrepresentworkin
progress,completewithmissingdataandtheoccasionaltypographicalerror.Iinvite
queries,amplifications,andcorrections,[email protected]
presentdocumentisafirstdraftofJuly2016.
--------
BobCole(1868-1911)
Lyricist,librettist,composer,actor,singer,dancer,comedian;activeinmusical
comedyandvaudeville;acontemporaryofErnestHogan,WillMarionCook,
andtheJohnsonbrothers.Hiscareerhasbeenwellcovered,especially
throughthescholarlycontributionsofThomasRiis(seeBibliography).Asa
creativefigure,heworkedmostcloselywith
BillyJohnson(1858-1916),
andJamesWeldonJohnson(1871-1938),
andJohnRosamondJohnson(1873-1954).
Name:Wentmostlyby"Bob";hislastnameissometimes,butrarelyand
mostlyinhisearlycareer,"Coles";referencesinthemodernsecondary
literaturesayhealsousedthepseudonym"WillHandy,"butthatisonlyin
referencetothesong"Oh!Did'tHeRamble"(1902),forwhich,seebelow.
--------
RobertAllen(Bob)Cole(Athens,GA,July1,1868-Catskill,NY,August2,
1911).BornandraisedinAthens,GA.Learnedpiano,banjo,guitar,andcello
asachild.WenttopublicschoolsandAtlantaUniversity(alternatively,wasan
employeeofAtlantaUniversitybutdidnotstudythere).Byoneaccount,"Cole
wasalsoatAtlantaUniversity,whereinthecollegegleeclubhelearnedthat
hehadtalentforthestage.Hedriftedintoaminstrelshow,andfromthere
intotheBlackPattiTroubadours"(Washington(DC)ColoredAmerican,
September10,1904,p.2,3)
Thena"singingbellboy"inJacksonville,Fla.(alternatively,inAsburyPark,
NJ).ThenNYhotelwork,thentoChicago.[[??thenintoworkasayoung
professionalmusicianinresorts,hotels,etc.inthenortheast??[CHECK]].The
storyistoldinwhatevidentlywasawire-servicefillerthatRosamond
Johnson"onceheldapositionasbellboyinYoung'shotelinBoston"and"took
"thelibertyofplayingPaderewski's"Minuet"forthegreatpianist....who
wasstayingatthathotel"(e.g.,ColdSprings(NY)RecorderandGully(MN)
Sunbeam)
VaudevilleoutofChicagointhelater1880s[CHECK],culminatinginhis
associationtherewithSamT.Jack'sshowsfrom1891.HewasinChicagoat
thesametimeashisdirectcontemporary,WillMarionCook,intheearly
1890s,buttheywouldinalllikelihoodhaveruninverydifferentcircles,and
Colewouldhavebeenontourmuchofthetime.
1891-1892
FirstseasonwithSamT.Jack'sCreolescompany,fromAugust.The1891-1892
minimusicalisTropicalReveries.
Inhisearly20s,Robert(Bob)Cole(orColes)isaregularwithSamT.Jack's
Creolesforfiveseasons,fromthisfirstseasonof1891-92through1895-96.
ColeanbetracedwithJack'scompanyfromAugust1891,atfirstintheact
"Cole&Staples"withJohnStaples(referencesinNYClipper,August15,1891
andIndianapolisFreeman,August22,1891,p.1;A&S,OutofSight,pp.156,
158).
1892-1893
SecondseasonwithSamT.Jack'sCreolescompany.The1892-1893mini
musicalmayhavestillbeenTropicalReveries.
"Partheniatookafancytoacoon,"lyricsandmusic,BobCole(NY:
Rossiter,1893);hisfirstpublishedsong;
"sungwithgreatsuccessbyVernonaJarbeau.";VernonaJarbeau
(1861-1914)wasawellknown(white)lightopera,musical
comedy,andvaudevillesinger;
itwasrecordedduringarecordingsessionbytheUnique
QuartettefortheNewYorkPhonographCompanyinfall1893for
theEdisonlabel(GageAverill,FourParts,NoWaiting)
1893-94
ThirdseasonwithSamT.Jacks(Clipperref.;A&S,OutofSight,p.162;andacc.
Riis).The1893-1894minimusicalisAuntJane'sWoodenWedding.
TheWillieWaysidetrampcharacteriscreatedinthisseasonacc.Riis,but
RussellobitofColesaysnotuntilBlackPattirunin1896-1897inAtJolly
ConeyIsland(withJohnsonasthebuncomanandsidekicknamedJim
Flimflammer);thefirstref.tothischaracterinOldFultonNYPostcardsisNY
DramaticMirror,September19,1896,p.7,inthatBlackPattishow(AtJolly
ConeyIsland,etc.),andingenealogybank.cominDecember1896inthatshow;
HedoesanactwithWalterSmartinSmartandColesthisseasoninSamT.
Jack'sCreoleCo.(NYClipper,July28,1893,p.324);alsodoesanactwith
StellaWiley,acc.Riis,butnewspapersandobitspointto1895forwhenhe
meetsher,andfrequentmentionsofthemtogetherdatefrom1896,1897
1894SONGS
"BillJohnson,theMonkey,andtheDago:songandchorus,"lyricsand
musicBobCole(NY:CrugerBros.,1894).
Isthishis[later]partnerBillyJohnsonbeingreferredto?
NB:Isham'sOctoroonslaterfeatureBrownandMayintheolio,
doing"TheDagoandtheMonkey,"underwhichtitlenothing
turnsupinWorldCat;
Thissongwascollectedbyaballadhunterasafolksongin
Bentonville,Arkansasin1958(UniversityofArkansasDigital
Collections)
"WinsomeBelle.Ballad,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:CrugerBros.,
1894)
1894-1895
FourthseasonwithSam.T.Jack's(DramaticMirrorref.,A&S,OutofSight,p.
388,389;etc.).The1894-1895minimusicalsareTheTropicalTempleof
ThespisandPlantationPastimes.
StellaWileyiswiththecompanyinanAugust1894roster(NYClipper,August
18,1894,p.372)atthebeginningoftheseason,andsheisatWorth'swithC.
V.Moore'sColoredMinstrelsattheendoftheseason(NYClipper,April20,
1895,p.102).
ColealsoparticipatesinWorth'sfirstseasonwithblacktroupes,andhe
appearswithBillyJohnson(AbbottandSeroff,etc.).
NB:LesterA.Walton'sobitintheNYAgesaysthetroupeatWorth's,onSixth
Ave.and30thStreet,wasthe"All-StarStockCompany."Theexpressionhas
yettoturnupelsewhere.
1895SONGS
"ColoredAristocracy,"or"I'mtheleaderofthecoloredaristocracy,"
lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Brooks&Denton;London:Francis,
Day&Hunter,1895);newsonginadinNYClipper,August24,
1895,p.397
verse:"Thecityisinanuproar"
chorus:"I'mtheleaderofthecoloredaristocracy"
SungbytheMcNairHoseMinstrelcompanyasthefinaletothe
firstpartoftheirshow(Warsaw(NY)WyomingCountyTimes,
December5,1895,p.1)
"Demgoldenclouds,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NYandLondon,Brooks
&Denton;London:Francis,Day&Hunter,1895),acc.Riis,from
sheetmusiccoverpublisher'sreference;however,thissongisnot
notpairedupwith"ColoredAristocracy"and"Fly,fly,fly"inNY
Clipperpublisher'sads
"Fly,fly,fly,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NYBrooks&Denton;London:
Francis,Day&Hunter,1895);itwassunginNateSalisbury's
BlackAmericainSeptember,1895(NYHerald,September17,
1895,p.7);newsonginadinNYClipper,August24,1895,p.397
1895-1896
Cole'sfifthandfinalseasonwithSam.T.Jack's(DramaticMirrorref.,etc.),and
hissecondandlastatWorth's,withBillyJohnson(andBJalsowithIsham).
The1895-1896minimusicalsforJack'scompanyareUndertheWeeping
WillowsandTheSouthernSunset,thelatterwithbuckandwingdancingand
acakewalk(NYDramaticMirror,December28,1895,p.21).
StellaWileyisoneofthecreolesandoctoroonsannouncedforFlynn&
Sheridan'sshowsforfall1895(NYClipper,August3,1895,p.339),butshe
endsupwithJack'scompanyagainthisseason(seeChicagoDailyInterOcean,
August25,1895,p.33;NYDramaticMirror,September7,1895,p.4;NY
DramaticMirror,December28,1895,etc.);lotsofnewspaperhitsfromthis
season,butnotthelastone;newspapersandobitsputhertogetherwithCole
onlyfromnow,thoughRiissaysitwasearlier(andWileywaswiththe
comnpanybeforenow);e.g.,ColeandWileyaredoinganewdancingspecialty
withthecompany(NYClipper,November9,1895,p.566);Russellobitsays
1895(ChicagoDefender,August12,1911,p.1)
1896,inMarch:SamT.Jack'sCreoleco.isplayingatSamT.Jack'sOpera
HouseinChicago;RobertColeisoneof"fourcomedianswhocan
amuse"(NYDramaticMirror,March14,186,p.21).
NB:SylvesterRussellinobit(ChicagoDefender,August12,1911,p.1)says
thatnext,"SamT.JackhadtakentheSavoytheatreonBroadwayinthe
neighborhoodof27thstreetforarunofhiscreolecompany"andRussell
wouldknow,sincethistroupeincludedtheyoungRussellhimself,withCole,
Wiley,etc.asstars;Icannottracethiselsewhere;itcouldbearunofjustone
orafewweeks,andthusduringoneofthefiveseasonsabove.
1896SONGS
"Moveup,Johnson,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Brooks&Denton;
London:Francis,Day&Hunter,1896)."AsintroducedbySam.
Jack'sCreoles,"GeorgiaJubileeSingers,""BlackAmerica,"etc.etc."
BrownLibraryreportsapublicationdateof1900,butthissong
appearsinalistofnewmusicreceivedbyTheEditorinlate1896,
anditiscalledanewnumberinthemostup-to-dateversionof
Hoyt'sATriptoChinatowninnewspapersinJanuary1897(e.g.,
Ithaca(NY)DailyNews,January16,1897,n.p.[p.2?])
1896-1897
1896, in September: George Walker and Bert Williams came to New York
and got a flat on 53rd Street in fall 1896, and an article by George
Walker says that Will Marion Cook hung out at their NYC flat on
53rd Street then along with Dunbar, Burleigh, Bob Cole and Billy
Johnson, Jesse Shipp, and Will Accooe
ATJOLLYCOONEYISLAND
ColeandBillyJohnsonthisfallarewiththeBlackPattiTroubadoursinamini
musicalcalledAtJollyCooneyIsland;theshowbeganrehearsalsinNYCon
August20(NYDramaticMirror,August15,1896,p.18)andopenedin
September;ColeisdefinitelyWillieWaysideandJohnsonisJimFlimflammer
fromthispointoninthenewspapers(e.g.,Washington,D.C.,EveningStar,
December8,1896,p.16);Russellobitsaysitisnowthathecreatesthis
character.TheminiisthefirstitemonthebillofBlackPatti'sshow(PartIout
ofthree).
[Ingenealogybank.com,StellaWileydoesnotshowupuntilhere,inthefallof
1896,butseeabove.]
Tensongsareidentifiablewiththisminimusicalthroughwebnewspaper
searchesoftitles;itisevidentlyacompilationscore;someoftheoriginalCole
andJohnsonnumbersarere-usedinnextyear'sATriptoCoontown:
"AtJollyCooneyIsland"
"TheBelleofAvenueA,"lyricsandmusicSaffordWaters(NY:Howley,
Haviland,andDresser,1895);sungbyStellaWiley
"TheBlackFourHundred'sBall:marchsongandchorus"(TheBlack
400s'Ball),lyricsBillyJohnson,musicBobCole(NY:Howley,
Haviland,andCo.,1896);see1896-1897ref.inIndianapolis
Freeman,March13,1897,p.5
"BlackGalMine"(I'llMakeDatBlackGalMine),Ward&Reed(NY:NY
Music,1896)
ComicSong
"DowntoConeyIsland";possiblythisis"TakeMeDowntoConey
Island,"lyricsH.Morton,musicG.Kerker(NY:Harms,1896),from
TheBelleofNewYork
"4-11-44:acoonditty,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(Milwaukee:Joseph
Flanner,1897);laterre-usedinATriptoCoontown;Indianapolis
Freeman,March13,1897,p.5namesBobColeoftheBlackPatti
Troubadoursastheauthorofthesong"4-11-44")
"HoneyDoesYouLoveYourLittleMan,"Bratton&Ford(NY:Witmark,
1895)
RedHots
TheThreeLittleKinkies
Riis(ISAMMonographs1992)identifiessevensongs(*forthefivealso
above):
*AtJollyCooneyIsland
*BlackFourHundred'sBall
*4-11-44
*RedHots,RedHots
*DowntoCooneyIsland
PLUS
SongoftheBathers
SongoftheBloomers
NB:morecoloredaristocracy:1897songwithwordsandmusicbyIrvingJones,
"Theblackfourhundred:songandchorus,"(or"acomicNegromarchsong")(NY:
GeorgeL.Spalding,1897);onthecoveritsays"DedicatedtotheColored
Aristocracy"and"Tothepublic:therearethreeclubsinNewYorkcitycomposed
entirelyofcoloredmen,andconsequentlythereismuchrivalryandjealousy
betweenthemforfirsthonorswiththeduskybellesof"LittleAfrica"withwhomthe
'black400'atthepresenttimeseemtobeslightfavorites."
1896,inDecember:forecastofacomicopera,KingEat'Em-All,i.e.,asthe
openingminimusical,forthenextseasonofBlackPattiTroubadours:
"BobCole,producerandstagemanager,withBlackPattiTroubadours,
ispreparingacomicopera,entitled:"KingEat'Em-All,"whichwillbe
producedbyMme.JonesandtheTroubadoursnextseason"
(IndianapolisFreeman,December19,1896,p.5)
1897,atendofthespringseason:Cole&JohnsonbreakwithBlackPattiin
latespring(May/JUne),afterjustoneyear;therewereissuesabout
contractrenewals,buttherewasalsoapublicspataboutthe"theft"of
somemusicbyColethatwascentraltotherupture(seeLee,Sissieretta
Jones,pp.112-14)
1897SONGS
ThisisColeandBillyJohnson'sbigbreak-outyearforpublishedsongs,with
manythisyearandthenaboutasmanyin1898andstillsomein1899;
Ashere,somewereforTinPanAlley,andnotoriginallyornecessarilyforthe
1896-1897orthe1897-1898musicals:
"BabyWillYouAlwaysLoveMeTrue?"lyricsBillyJohnson,musicBob
Cole(NY:Broder&Schlam,1897)
"TheCzaroftheTenderloin:marchsong,"BobCole&BillyJohnson(NY:
Spaulding,1897;NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1897);atwostep;LoChson-linecopyfromwhichitcanbeseenthatneither
thecovernorthefirstpagedistinguishcomposerfromlyricist;
verse:"AmericahasaPresidentandEnglandhasaQueen";
sungbytheRogersBros.atKosterandBial'sinJulyandAugust,
1897,andbyLewHawkinsattheGrandRepublicfloatingroof
gardeninlateJuly,andbyM.S.WhallenatTonyPastor'sin
August,1897;thesongreferstoarealhistoricalcharactermuch
inthenewsjustthen;re-usedinthefallinATriptoCoontown
"QueenofShinboneAlley"[ShinboneAlley],lyricsBillyJohnson,music
BobCole(NY:Rossiter,1898);newinlater1897andpublishedin
1898;notan1893song[WaltonobitinNYAgesaysthatthisishis
nextpublishedsongafter"Parthenia"butthatisanerrant
recollection];published1898butalreadyincirculationin1897;
advertisedmultipletimesbyRossiterasthenewcoonsonghit,
sungbyavarietyofnamedsingers,inNYClipper,includingDec.4,
1897andDec.25,1897;"SungbyGertieCarlisleofPalmerCox's
Brownie'sCo."---averyfamousstarisaverywell-known
extravaganza;called"hislatesthit"onthesheetmusiccover
1897-1898
SEASONONEofATriptoCoontown
1897,infall:ATRIPTOCOONTOWN
LeavingtheBlackPattiTroubadours,Cole&BillyJohnsonworktogetherfor
fourseasonsasacomedyteamintheir3-actmusicalcomedy,ATripto
Coontown:1897-98,1898-99,1899-00,1900-1901.
ColewasWillieWayside(inwhitemake-up=whiteface,inebriated,hobo=a
whitedrifter)andBillyJohnsonwasJimFlimflammer(ablackdandy,the
"buncosteerer,"abunkoartist=conman=akindof"BuncoBill").Thisisthe
first"bigtime,""fullshow"blackfarcecomedy.Saidtobe"thefirstAfricanAmericanmusicalcomedy"inRiis(2011).Notcountingallthemini-musical
comedies,thatseemstoholdtrue.Note,though,thecontentsofthefirst
iterationoftheshow(below),alongvariety-showlines.
-Note:AprogramsurvivesfortherunattheThirdAvenueTheatreinNYCin
April1898,neartheendofSeasonOne.
-Note:Afullscriptturnedupin2008inanarchiveoftypescriptssubmitted
forcopyrightdepositatLoC(Moonetal(2011);Riis(2011)).TheLoC
datestampofSeptember27,1899suggeststhatthistextcouldbethe
pointofdepartureforSeason3,butinfactitappearstobevirtually
identicaltoSeason1,andthustonothavemostofthesongs
documentedforlaterseasons.
Thisfirstiterationoftheshowisaconflationofwhatisactuallyarelatively
shortmusicalcomedy---almostjustatab,ataboutadozenmusicalitems,thus
hardlyanybiggerthanAtJollyCooneyIsland---togetherwithafinalactof
concertnumbers.ThemodelhereisbasedonJack'sandIsham's,BlackPatti's
andburlesquemodels(andultimately,theminstrelshow).TheyusedathreepartstructurewithaminiasPartI,avarietyolioasPartII,and"ATour
AroundtheOperas"withmoreseriousrecitalfareasPartIII.Here,elements
ofolioareinterpolatedintothemini,andthefinalactismostlyrecitalfare,
withsomeframingelementstoassociateitwiththemini.
SONGS:
Fromthenumberofsongsthatgetpublishedandadvertisedonsheetmusic
andinnewspapers,itappearsthattheminimusicalpartoftheshowgrew
dramaticallyinSeason2---probablytoafullevening,withagrowthfrom
around12musicalnumberstoaround18(andpresumably,thecuttingofthe
finalact"recital").
InSeason1,fiveorsonewpublishedBobCole&BillyJohnsonsongsandtwo
olderpublishedBobCole&BillyJohnsonsongsareused;"TwoBoldBadMen"
isprobablyanunpublishedBobCole&BillyJohnsonnumber.
ThemusicalnumbersareinanApril1898program(Norton(2002),I:623
[1898.22]),atwo-actversionoftheshowfromneartheendofSEASONONE,
whichisvirtuallyidenticaltothelaterSeptember1899script,irrespectiveof
itsdivisionintothreeacts.See:
ActI
"TheFamousBlackMoguls:songandchorus,"lyricsBillyJohnson,
musicBobCole(NY:HowleyHaviland,1897,1898);new
"IHopeTheseFewLinesWillFindYouWell,"lyricsBillyJohnson,music
BobCole(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897);new
[[scriptcallsforasonghere]]
OldKentuckyHome[Foster]
[[Rubesingsasonghere,inscript]]
TwoBoldBadMen
"ATriptoCoontown"(solo),lyricsBobCole&BillyJohnson,musicBert
Williams(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897);new
ATriptoCoontown(chorus;reprise)
"TheCzaroftheTenderloin,"BobCole&BillyJohnson;old
TheItalianMan[anItalianspecialtyact,donebyBillBinkerton,acc.
IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
"TheChristeningofaLittleBlackCoon,"lyricsBillyJohnson,musicBob
Cole(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897);new
TheEquilibrist[anequilibristspecialtyactdonebyJimWilson,acc.
IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
(Play)"4-11-44,"lyricsandmusicBobCole;old
"TheWeddingoftheChineeandtheCoon:comicsongandchorus,"
lyricsBillyJohnson,musicBobCole(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897);
new
Finale
ActII
=basicallyanolioorBlack-Patti-likerecital
Riis(2011),p.425printsalistofmusicalnumbersfromascriptinthreeacts
ofSeptember1899.ItisvirtuallyidenticaltotheApril1898program:
ActI
TheFamousBlackMoguls
IHopeTheseFewLinesFindYouWell
SONG
[My]OldKentuckyHome
SONG[TwoBoldBadMen]
[A]TriptoCoontown
ActII
"TheCzaroftheTenderloin"
SONG[TheItalianMan]
"TheChristeningoftheLittleBlackCoon:songandchorus"
Play"4-11-44"
"TheWeddingoftheChineeandtheCoon"
ActIII
[Finale]SongandGavotte
Chorus
Song
"TheGreatestLivingBlackTenor"
Song
TriofromAttila,introducingMme.Plato
Finale
Twelvesongsarecitedinnewspapersoverthe1897-1898SEASONONE,
especiallyagroupofeight;mostofthesesongsarenotintheprogramsjust
citedabove,sothattheshowwasclearlyevolvingontheroadseemsclear:
TrentonEveningTimes,11/14/97,p.11;11/15/1897,p.8
Geneva(NY)DailyTimes,March1,1898,p.1
IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5
BostonDailyGlobe,April24,1898,p.18
The8(with*forthoseinprogramscitedabove):
HooLaBooLa="LaHoolaBoola(AHawaiianditty)uptodate,"Bob
Cole&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897)[firstpart,acc.
IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
"You'llhavetochooseanotherbabynow:songandchorus,"lyricsBilly
Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897)
*WeddingoftheChineeandtheCoon
*TheBlackMoguls(TheFamousBlackMoguls)[firstpart,acc.
IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
ACoontownWedding
ACoontownPicnic
TheGinSpring["MeetMeattheGinSpring"]
"TheBlackFourHundred'sBall:marchsongandchorus"(TheBlack
400s'Ball),fromtheearlierAtJollyCooneyIsland
The4additional:
*Here'sahopingthesefewlineswillfindyouwell[firstpart,acc.
IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
*Play4-11-44[firstpart,acc.IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
AllChinksLookAliketoMe;aparodyofErnestHogan'sfamous"All
CoonsLookAliketoMe"(1896)?{sungby"theblackestNegroin
thecompany,"acc.IndianapolisFreeman,April16,1898,p.5]
CakewalkbytheBlackFourHundred(theCoonandSwellCakewalk)
Inlaterseasons:
FifteensongsinaHowley,HavilandadinNYClipper,September24,1898
(Ragged,p.70),presumablywithsomeSEASONOnesongsandwithsome
newsongsforSEASONTWOamongthem:
"TheBlackFourHundred'sBall"
"CharityBeganatHome:songandchorus,"lyricsBillyJohnson,music
BobCole(NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1898)
"ChristeningofaLittleBlackCoon:songandchorus"
"TheCoontownRegimentisOfftoWar:marchsongandchorus"[The
CoontownRegiment],BobCole&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,
Haviland,1898);surelyfortheshow??
"LaHoolaBoola(AHawaiianditty)uptodate"
"Ihopethesefewlineswillfindyouwell,"BobCole&BillyJohnson(NY:
Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1897)
"IWonderWhatisThat[dat]Coon'sGame,"BobCole&BillyJohnson
(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897)(NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,
1893[sic;recte1898])
"InDahomey:topicalsong,"BobCole&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,
Haviland,andCo.,1898)
*"MissAmorintaJackson'sPromenade:coonsongandchorus,"BobCole
&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1899);copyright
January28,1899
MyOldCountryHome
"There'saWarmSpotinMyHeartForYou,Baby:coonlovesong,"Bob
Cole&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897)(NY:Howley,
Haviland,andCo.,1898)
ATriptoCoontown
TheWeddingoftheChineeandtheCoon
"WhentheChickensGotoSleep,"lyricsBobCole,musicBillyJohnson
(NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1898)
You'llHavetoChooseAnotherBabyNow
Andinaddition:
"NoCoonsAllowed!"lyricsBillyJohnson,musicBobCole(NY:Howley,
Haviland,1897);sheetmusiccoversays"AsSungbytheAuthors
inTheirNewFarceComedyATriptoCoontown";themodern
secondaryliteratureofthe2000scitesitfrequently,anddescribes
itaseitherthefinaleorthelastsongbeforethefinale(seeGoogle
Book),butitgetsjustonehitinWorldCatanddoesnotturnupin
newspaperreferencestotheshow,sowhatgives?
Andtheteamhavefourmoresongspublishedin1897and1898byHowley,
Haviland:
"IKnowedYouAforeYourHairGotStraight:songandchorus,"BobCole
&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,Haviland,1897)
"TheNaughtyBow-wow:songandchorus,"lyricsBillyJohnson,music
BobCole(NY:Howley,Haviland,1898)
"NoOneCanFillHerPlace,"lyricsBillyJohnson,musicBobCole(NY:
Howley,Haviland,1897,1898)
"WhentheWarisOver:sentimentalsongandchorus,"BobCole&Billy
Johnson(NY:Howley,Haviland,1898);inJohnsHopkins
University,LesterS.LevySheetMusicCollection
Thereareeighteen(18)songsinasheetmusicadvertisement,probablyfrom
1898,ontherearcoveroftheCole&Johnsonsong"Iwonderwhatisthat
coon'sgame:coonsongandchorus"(NY:Howley,Havilland,&Co.,1893[sic])
[atYaleandatBritishLibrary];Googlinggetsahitofthefrontcoverofthis
songatavintagesheetmusicsite,andthesheetmusicliststhreeothersongs
bythesetwothatarepublishedbyHowley,Haviland,&Co.,incl."TheBlack
400'sBall","You'llHavetoChooseAnotherBabyNow,"and"TheWeddingof
theChinee&theCoon";further,"Iwonderwhat"isaselectiononanamateur
minstrelshowprogramin1899(Albion,NY,OrleansRepublican,July26,
1899,pageilleg.),andiscalledanup-to-datecoonsonginWashington,DC,
EveningStar,April28,1899,p.16,withnonewspaperhitsfoundpriorto
December1898;thesamecoverimageappearsintheNYPLDigitalLibrary,
andtheytoogivedate1893intheirmetadatabecausethecopyrightreads
MDCCCXCIII;however,therearcovergivesthetitlesofthese18Cole&
Johnsonsongspublishedfrom1896to1899.Allofthisclearlysuggeststhat
thedateof1893on"Iwonderwhat"iswrongandoughttobelater.
The18songs,withpublicationdatesin[],are:
TheWeddingoftheChineeandtheCoon[1897],TheNaughtyBowWow[1898],TheChristeningofaLittleBlackCoon[1897],ATripto
Coontown[1897],You'llHavetoChooseAnotherBabyNow[1897],The
Black400'sBall[1896],IKnowedYouBeforeYourHairGotStraight
[1897],IHopeTheseFewLinesWillFindYouWell[1897],Charity
BeganatHome[1898],TheFamousBlackMoguls[1897],The
CoontownRegiment[1898],LaHoolaBoola[1897],NoCoonsAllowed
[1897],IWonderWhatisThatCoon'sGame[1893],NoOneCanFillHer
Place[1898],InDahomey[1898],WhentheChickensGotoSleep
[1898],MissAmorintaJackson'sPromenade[1899]
Four1899songsassociatedwithCole&JohnsonandthisshowandHowley,
HavilandviaWorldCat:
*"BabyI'sedonethrowedyoudown,"lyricsBobColeandBillyJohnson,
musicWillAccooe(NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1899);
copyrightSeptember27,1899
*"Chicken,"lyricsBobColeandBillyJohnson,musicWillAccooe(NY:
Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1899);copyrightSeptember27,1899;
"AssungbyBobCole,ofCole&Johnson,inATriptoCoontown."
*"TheLuckiestCooninTown,"BobCole&BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,
Haviland,andCo.,1899);copyrightJuly3,1899;"SungbyCole&
Johnsonintheircomicskit"Coontownsociety"";andsungbyJohn
RuckerinRichards,Pringle-Rusco&Holland'sBigMinstrel
Festival(IndianapolisFreeman,August19,1899,p.5);very
popular
*"Mr.CoonYou'reAllRightinYourPlace,"BobCole&BillyJohnson(NY:
Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1899);copyrightFebruary25,1899
Anothersongthisyearbytheteamthatwaspubl.byHowley,Haviland:
"Iboughtahorselesscarriageformybaby,"Cole&Johnson(NY:
Howley,Haviland,1899);LoCcopyrightSeptember16,1899
Andanothersongfortheshow:
"AllIWantsisMy(ma)Chickens,"lyricsandmusicbyLawrenceDeas
andJackWilson(NY:JosephW.Stern,1898,1899);Riis(in
"ForgottenMSS"andinRiis(2011))mentionsthatitisinaNY
Clipperaddforasetofadditionalsongs;(confirmedinWorldCat);
thesheetmusiccoverreproducedinRiis(2011),p.434,Fig.17.3,
saysitissungwithgreatsuccessbyBobColeinATriptoCoon
Town.
SunginSeason2:seeIndianapolisFreeman,January21,1899,p.
5.
Peterson,Century(1993),givesthefollowingsongsandmusicalnumbers,
alphabetized,withthreemarkedwith+byPetersonforbeingaHowland,
Havilandpubl.,withtheadditionofxifPeterson'sarealsointheHowland
sheetmusiclistgof18,oryifin1899additional,andzifalsoon"ovrtur.com"
websitehit;I'veaddedinothersinside[];someadditionalnotinthislistbut
inHowleyandHaviland's18.
AllChinksLookAliketoMe
[AllIWantsisMyChickens]
y[BabyI'seDoneThrowedYouDown]
x[TheBlackFourHundred'sBall(orBlack400's)];JollyCooneyIsland
[CakewalkbytheBlackFourHundred(theCoonandSwellCakewalk)]
xz[TheChristeningofALittleBlackCoon]
CoontownFrolique
(ACoontownPicnic]
[ACoontownWedding]
xTheCoontownRegiment
z[TheCzaroftheTenderloin]
z[TheEquilibrist]
xzTheFamousBlackMoguls
ForAllEternity
z(Play)4-11-44;JollyCooneyIsland
(MeetMeatthe)GinSpring
xzHere'saHoping(Ihope)TheseFewLinesWillFindYouWell
+xLaHoolaBoola
"ICanStandforYourColor,ButYourHairWon'tDo,"lyricsandmusic
BillyJohnson(NY:Howley,Haviland,1901)
IMusto'BeenaDreaming
xIWonderWhatisDatCoon'sGame
"IfThat'sSociety,ExcuseMe,"lyricsBobColeandWillJohns,musicJ.R.
Johnson(NY:Howley,HavilandandDresser,1900)
xInDahomey
zTheItalianMan
AJollyOldRube
yTheLuckiestCooninTown
y(Ma)Chicken
z[MidnightKisses]
xy[MissAmorintaJackson'sPromenade]
MissArabellaJones
y[Mr.CoonYou'reAllRightinYourPlace]
+xNoCoonsAllowed!(NY:Howley,Haviland,andCo.,1897)
zOldKentuckyHome
Picking(Pickin')onaChickenBone
SweetSavannah
+There'saWarmSpotinMyHeartforYou,Babe
zTheTriofromAttila
xzATriptoCoontown
zTwoBoldBadMen
TheWaytoKissaGirl
xzTheWeddingoftheChineeandtheCoon
xWhentheChickensGotoSleep
Thestoryistold(Riis;CenturyofMusicals;etc.)thatthetroupeisactually
blackballed/blacklisted/lockedoutthisfirstseason(oratleastthethreatof
thisismadebyVoelckelandNolan)andthattheyplayonlyinsmallersecondrate/third-tierhouses.Toclarify,thisisaquestionofthecircuit---theycould
bedescribedasplayingthegoodhousesinsmallertownsonasecondor
third-tiercircuit,sometimesjustforhalfweeksortravellingdaily.They
clearlyspentmanymonthsmovingbetweenprettysmalltownsinupstate
NewYorkandnearbyCanadaandMassachusetts.LesterA.Walton,inhisNY
AgeobitforCole,saidthecompany"hadthedistinctionofdoingsomething
unusualintheshowbusiness---playtheworsthousesineverycityitsfirst
yearandplayingthebesthousesthenext."Thetourransuccessfullyforalong
seasonof39weeks(overninthmonths,fromlateAug/earlySept1897to
early/midJune1898)endingwiththreeweeksinOttawa(NYDramatic
Mirror,June18,1898,p.14)
CitiesandtheatersinSEASONONE(1897-1898)include:
August/September:SouthAmboy,NJ
September:NYCProctor's23rdStreetTheatre,weekofTuesday,Sept.14
September:Elizabeth,NJ,attheStarTheatre,Sept.28
October:Catskill,NY,October4
October:Schenectady,October7
October:Mechanicsville,NY,attheParkAve.OperaHouse,October8
October:BallstonSpa(SWofSaratogaSprings),October11
October:CortlandNYOct./Nov.11[?]
October:Lyons,NY:October15
GlennsFalls.
October:Newark,NY,October16
October:Canandaigua,October18
October:Oneida,NY,October22
October:Rome,NY,October25
Octrober:Auburn,NY,October26
October:Rochester,fromOctober28forthreedays(to30th)
November:Syracuse,November1
November:Philadelphia,attheStandard,weekofNov.7
November:Norwich,NY,November9(cancelled)
November:Trenton,attheTaylorOperaHouse,weekofNov.14(onthe15th
and16th)
November:Rome,NY,November25
November:PennYan,November27
December:Southport,CT,inthesecondhalfoftheweekofDecember16
December:Lawrence,Mass.,December23-25
December:Lowell,Mass.December27-29
January:Montreal,Queen'sTheatre,weekofJanuary10
Kingston,Canada(return),January28
Oshawa,Canada,January29
Toronto,Canada,January31
Hamilton,Canada,February7,8
Guelph,Canada,February9
Brantford,February10
Berlin,Canada,February11
Chatham,Canada,firsthalfofFebruary
Woodstock,Canada,February15
Guelph,Canada(return),February17
Berlin,Canada(return),February18
St.Catharines,Canada,February19
February:Batavia,NY,February24
March:PennYan,March2
March:Geneva,March3
March:Auburn,March5
March:Oneida(return),March9
March:Schenectady,March12
March:Oneonta,March15
March:Medina,March22
March:Norwich,NY,March16
March:Lockport,March23
March:Canandaigua(return),March26
April:NYCThirdAvenueTheatre,April4-9,1898(1week;8performances)
April:Boston,atthePalaceTheatre,fromMondayApril25
May:Worcester,Mass.,aroundMay7
May:Springfield,Mass.,attheOperaHouse,May12
May:NorthAdams,Mass,May14
May/June:Ottawa,Canada,atVictoriaPark,forthreeweeks
--------
1898,inJune:ColeandBillyyJohnson'ssummershowinJuneisGeorgia'49,
openinginOttawaCanadaonJune11,"introducingnegroplantation
songsanddances,andconcludingwiththecakewalk"(NewYork
DramaticMirror,June18,1898,p.7)
1898,August:Cole&BillyJohnson'ssummershowforlateJulythruAugustat
KosterandBialsisKingsofKoon-Dom,assistedbytheFreemanSisters,
andtheir"CakeWalkCoterie";see,e.g.,BostonJournal,August7,1898,
p.15
1898-1899
SEASONTWOofATriptoCoontown
Theshowis"revisedandstrengthened"(andlaidoutintwoacts).
RehearsalscalledforAugust22.
Theshowtravelsmuchfarther,includingwesttoOmahaandDenver,andto
biggermarkets.Venuesinclude:
AsburyPark,NY,August29
Elizabeth,NJ,August31
GrandOperaHouseat23rd&8thinNYCfor8performancesfromSeptember
12-17
Hoboken,NJ,September18-25[?]
Bridgeport,CT,October1-3
Putnam,CTOctober23
SouthFramingham,Mass.,October24
DenverinearlyJanuary1899
TopekainJanuary1899
OmahainJanuary1899
ChicagoinearlyFebruary1899
ClevelandinFebruary1899
MilwaukeeinMarch1899
MinneapolisinMarch1899
1899,March:BobCole&BillyJohnsonhaveonesonginKlaw&Erlanger'sA
ReignofError,runningMarch1899toJune1899:"IWonderWhatis
ThatCoon'sName"fromATriptoCoontown
1899,springandsummer:J.W.JohnsonandJ.R.Johnsoncomeupfrom
FloridatoNYCinthespringwiththeircomicoperetta,Toloso.(a.k.a.
TheCzarofZam).J.R.Johnsonhadspentayearontheroadin18961897withIsham'sOrientalAmerica,andreturnedtoFloridatoteach
music.J.W.Johnsonhadbeeninlawschool,andhadgraduatedand
passedthebar.Theydon'tfindmuchinterestinaproductionfortheir
operettainNYCandreturnedtoFloridainthefall.Still,itopeneddoors
toNYC'sblacktheatricalcommunity.ColemettheJohnsonbrothersin
thenorththissummer.Intheirfirstcollaboration,theywroteatleast
onesongtogether,"LouisianaLize,"forMayIrwin.J.W.Johnsonmuch
laterremembersthattheywrotetwosongstogetherandbroughtthem
toE.B.Marks.
1899SONGS
"Lucille,maladylove,"BobCole&Theo.F.Morse(NY:Howley,
Haviland,1899);LoCcopyrightJan.2/3,1899
"Mamma,I'seyourbaby,ain'tI,mamma,ain'tI?"BobCole&Billy
Johnson(NY:HowleyHaviland,1898,1899);LoCcopyrightJan.
21,1899
"LouisianaLize,"lyricsandmusicBobCole,wordsandmusiceditedJ.
W.andJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1899;repr.Riis2015);
LoCcopyrightAug.10/Sept.8,1899;itwasalreadybeingsungin
varietyinthesummerof1899(NYDramaticMirror,August26,
1899,p.16)andthe1899sheetmusiccoversaysitis"May
Irwin'sLatestSuccess";sunginthePrimroseandDockstader
minstrelshowin1899-1900;MayIrwinevidentlyissingingitin
1899andshesingsitinthefall1900BelleofBridgeport(below)
anditremainspopularforatleastthenexthalfdecade
1899-1900
SEASONTHREEofATriptoCoontown
Route(partial)includes:
JerseyCityinSeptember
NYCatStarTheatreinSeptember
HarrisburginearlyOctober
PhiladelphiainOctober
ClevelandinearlyNovember
KalamazooinNovember
Jackson,MI,inNovember
GrandRapidsinNovember
Erie,PA,earlyDecember
AmsterdaminDecember
Watertown,NYinlateDecember
Canada:
KingstoninJanuary
Belleville,inJanuary
LindsayinJanuary
SimcoeinJanuary
BarrieinJanuary
OshawainJanuary
LondoninJanuary
WoodstockinJanuary
HamiltoninJanuary
St.CatharinesinJanuary
NiagaraFallsinFebruary
BostoninFebruary
NewHaveninFebruary
HobokeninMarch
Wilkes-barreinMarch
MahanoyCityinMarch
AllentowninMarch
Washington,DC,inMarch
PhiladelphiainApril
BostoninApril
1900,inMarch:InNYClipper,March31,1900,p.98,inthecolumn
THEATRICALunder"DramaticCopyrights,"arelisted:
"BobColeinCoontown,"amusicalcomedy,intwoacts,byBobCole.
CopyrightedbyBobCole,NewYork.
"KingofSpades,"amusicalcomedy,intwoacts,byBobCole.
CopyrightedbyBobCole,NewYork.
"CoontownCarnival,"amusicalcomedy,intwoacts,byBobCole.
CopyrightedbyBobCole,NewYork.
1900,inthespring:TheJohnsonbrothersreturntoNYCfromFloridaand
beginapartnershipwithColethissummerthatforColeandJ.R.
Johnsonwillspanthenexttenyears.ColeisstillinATripToCoontown
withBillyJohnson,buttheirartisticcollaborationisover.Withthe
Johnsonbrothers,ColewritesforseasonfourofATriptoCoontownand
forothershows,mostespeciallyTheBelleofBridgeport.
1900-1901
SEASONFOURofATriptoCoontown
ColeandJohnsonintheirfinalseasontogether.
Theshow'srouteincluded(butwasnotlimitedto):
Oshawa,Canada,inSeptember;Berlin,Canada,inSeptember;St.
Catharines,inSeptember;Guelph,Canada,inSeptember;London,
Ontario,inSeptember;Jackson,MI,inOctober;IndianapolisinOctober;
ClevelandinOctober;KalamazoinNovember;inMilwaukeeinlatest
NovemberorearliestDecember;Springfield,Il.inDecember;Louisiana,
Moberly,Mexico,Chillicothe,MoinDecember;Leavenworthin
December;KansasCityinDecember;ChicagoinDecember;Lincoln,
Beatrice,Fairbury,Omaha,NEinJanuary;MemphisinJanuary;
BirminghaminJanuary;CharlestoninFebruary;HarrisburginMarch;
NewYorkCityinMarch;JerseyCityinMarch;HobokeninApril;Port
Jervis,Kingston,Catskill,Hudson,Schenectady,NYinApril;Bostonin
April;Willimantic,Bridgeport,CTinlateAprilandearliestMay;
PhiladelphiainMay
SONGSforSeasonFour:
Sampson,BlacksinBlackface,gives1899date(clearlyanerror)andnames
thesetwosongs;theyaresingledoutintheFreemanforOctober1900asCole
songsintheshow(IndianapolisFreeman,October20,1900,p.5):
"Imusthavebeenadreamin',"lyricsandmusicBobCole,arr.J.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Morse,1900;NY:Howley,Haviland,and
Dresser,1900)=IMustO'BeenaDreaming,Imustabeena
dreamin',"ImustaBe'naDreamin',etc.;LoCcopyrightJanuary5,
1901;"SungwithgreatsuccessbyDotClausen"onMorsesheet
music;insetofFannieMidgleyinblackfaceonHowley,Haviland,
andDressersheetmusic;alsoaTriptoCoontownsong(inSeason
Four,asbelow);
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"PickingonaChickenBone,"lyricsandmusicBobCole,arr.J.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Morse,1900);"BobCole'stremendoushitin"ATrip
toCoontown"Co."
IndianapolisFreeman,October20,1900,p.5mentionstwosongs:
"Imusto'beenadreaming"[1900]
"Pickingonachickenbone"[1900]
MemphisEveningScimitar,January24,1901(andSampson,Blacksin
Blackface,giving1901date)reportsthreesongs:
"IfThat'sSociety,ExcuseMe"[1900]
"PickingonaChickenBone"[1900]
"ICanStandForYourColor,ButYourHairWon'tDo"[1901]
1900,August:onesonginTheRogersBrothersinCentralPark,Klawand
Erlanger'svaudevillefarce[Norton(2002)1900.40],runs1900-1901,
andfall1901:
"Run,brudderpossum,run"(finale)["Run,brudderpossum,run:a
Negrowarning"or"Run,brudderpossumrun:coonsongand
chorus"],lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson:(New
York:RogerBros.,1900)
1900,inSeptember:ColehadbeensickwithdiptheriaandoutoftheATripto
Coontowncompany,butisexpectedtoreturntotheshowsoon
(IndianapolisFreeman,September22,1900,p.5)
1900,October:TheBelleofBridgeport[Norton(2002)1900.48]
ColeandJohnsonbrothersdomostofthesongsforthisshow;J.W.
Johnsonremembersitas"allthesinglenumbers"fortheshow;afew
othersbyAccooe,etc.;thisisawhiteshow,avehicleforgreat"coon
song"singerMayIrwin,whowasalsotheproducer;ranOctoberto
December1900
"IAin'tGwineTerWorkNoMo,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,
musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900);forMayIrwin
"WhyDon'ttheBandPlay,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900);forMayIrwin
"I'vegottroublesofmyown,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900;repr.Riis2015);forMay
Irwin
"Magdaline[Magdalene,Madelene],MySouthernQueen,"lyricsBob
ColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,
1900);forMayIrwin;repr.byHearst'sChicagoAmerican,October
1903)
"Since(Sence)youwentaway,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,music
J.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900);forMayIrwin
"MaMississippiBelle,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900;repr.Riis2015;publ.in
Hearstpapersin1903);MayIrwinIrwinsingsit,thoughthe
printedlyricsareforamantosingabouthisgal---isIrwinstill
doingBellein1903?
"IMustO'BeenADreamin'"fromATriptoCoontown
"LouisianaLize"(writtenforMayIrwinin1899)
andalso,interalia:
"Madandysoldiercoon,"lyricsandmusicWillAccooe(NewYork
JournalandAdvertiser,bypermissionofStern)
1900,inDecember:MayIrwininhernewvehicle,MadgeSmith,Attorney
[Norton(2002),1900.55]withanumberofsongscarriedoverfromthe
BelleofBridgeport:
"IAin'tGwineTerWorkNoMo,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,
musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900);forMayIrwin
"WhyDon'ttheBandPlay,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900);forMayIrwin
"I'vegottroublesofmyown,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1900);forMayIrwin
1901,inApril:ATriptoCoontownfilesforbankruptcyafterfouryears,on
April11,1901(IndianapolisFreeman,April20,1901,p.5;seealso
GhostWalks,p.230,etc.,etc.,butitisinBostonwithColeandJohnson
inmidApril[BostonHerald,April21,1901,p.14;BostonHerald,April
23,1901,p.7]);theTomtheTattlercolumninIndianapolisFreeman,
May11,1901,p.6,says"TheTriptoCoontownCompany,ifreportsbe
true,hastrippeditslasttrip,";intheend,though,theshowclosedfor
theseasoninPhiladelphiaonMay11(PhiladelphiaInquirer,May7,
1901,p.7;IndianapolisFreeman,May18,1901,p.5).
1901,inJuly:BillyJohnsontakestheshowforastintinthesummer,andwith
JesseShippashisco-star,playsattheMidlandBeachTheatre(Staten
Island)inJuly(IndianapolisFreeman,July27,1901,p.5);moreover,a
versionoftheshowwithnewstarscontinuestorunatleastinto1902
(IndianapolisFreeman,June28,1902,p.5;IndianapolisFreeman,
September6,1902,p.5)
ColeandBillyJohnsonreportedlyintendtomakeanewteamwithWill
MarionCook,J.W.andJ.R.JohnsonforCannibalKingproject.(NB:Colehad
beenpublishingsongswiththeJohnsonssinceatleast1899.)ThenColeand
BillyJohnsondissolvetheirpartnershiponJuly31,1901(GhostWalks,p.233)
thoughaslateasAugust1901newspapers,ColeandBillyJohnsonwereboth
goingtobeinCook'sCannibalKing(asbelow).Thedissolutionisbignewsin
SylvesterRussell's1901endofyearwrite-up;fromfall1901,Coleand
Johnsonthengotheirownways,butsometimesworkseparatelyonthesame
vaudevillebill.ColeandtheJohnsonbrotherscontinuetochurnoutsongs,and
BillyJohnsonalsocontinuestobeaprolificsongwriterwithseveralnew
collaboratorsoverthenextdecade.
1901,August:ColeandJ.W.JohnsonwriteaCannibalKingscript(firstact)for
WMCin1901,withLoCcopyrightdatedAugust10,1901.Thismightbe
Cole'sfirst"bigshow"fromscratch,andtheteamendsupwritinga
failure:afullshowbylengthandnumberofmusicalnumbersthat
coversonlyActIofthescenario.Theshowgoesintorehearsalinearly
AugustwithasuperstarcastincludingBobCole,BillyJohnson,
RosamondJohnson,ErnestHogan,AbbieMitchell,ReginaldBurleigh,
MurielRinggold,etc.,etc.(IndianapolisFreeman,August10,1901,p.5)
1901SONGS
"Ain'tdatscan'lous,"wordsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.R.
Johnson(NY:JosephStern,1901;repr.Riis2015),forMayIrwin;
sheetmusicsaysshesingsit"inhernewplaythisseason";
possiblywhatever1901-1902playthatfollowedBelleof
Bridgeport(i.e.,MadgeSmith,AttorneyorTheWidowJones)
"Nouseinaskin''causeyouknowthereasonwhy,"J.W.Johnsonand
Cole(NY:Stern,1901);sungbyLewDockstaderinPrimroseand
Dockstader'sMinstrels
"WhenDeJackO'LanternStartstoWalkAbout,"lyricsBobColeandJ.
W.Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901;repr.
Riis2015)
"TallahasseeZiz,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Howley,Haviland&
Dresser,1901);LoCcopyrightJanuary5,1901
1901-1906
Colemovesontofiveyearsofvaudeville,includingEuropeantouring,plus
writingsongsforTinPanAlleyandwhiteshows,especiallyaseriesforKlaw&
Erlanger(whomBobCole&BillyJohnsonhaddealtwithalready),allwith
partnerJ.R.Johnsononstage;ColewithJ.W.andJ.R.Johnsonassong-writing
trio(WashingtonBee,November16,1901,p.1)
1901-1902
Infall1901ColeandtheJohnsonsgetlotsofnewpaperattentionasasonghit-writingtrioinlater1901(e.g.,WashingtonBee,November16,1901,p.1);
NB:sometimessongsbytheJohnsonandJohnsonduogetidentifiedwithCole
aswell
ColeentersvaudevillewithJ.R.Johnsonashispianist/partnerinlate1901or
earliest1902(1902acc.RiisinNGD);for1901,see,e.g.,PittsburghCourier,
December3,1927,sectiontwo,page2;inNYTribune,December29,1901,p.
9,BobColeisonatheatricalbillatthenewWinterGarden;NYClipper,
February1,1902,p.1065,writes"BobCole,whomadeanemphaticsuccessat
theNewYorkWinterGardenrecently,isre-engagedforthenextfewSundays,
andwillagainfeature"MyCastleontheNile"and"ThePhrenologistCoon."
Thevaudevilleactisgoingstronginlatespring1902(IndianapolisFreeman,
June28,1902,p.5);theWashington,DC,ColoredAmerican,May10,1902,p.5
identifiesColeandJ.R.as"themusicalcomposers,songwritersand
comediansofNewYork"
1901,October:somesongsforChampagneCharlie,comedybyAugustus
Thomas,esp.foractorPeterF.Dailey,runningSeptemberandOctober
1901,including:
"Gin"
"IDon'tWanttoBeNoActorManNoMo',"lyricsJ.W.JohnsonandJ.
RosamondJohnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1901;repr.Riis
2015);"IntroducedbyPeterF.DaileyinHisNewProduction
"ChampagneCharlie"
"Nobody'slookin'butdeOwlan'deMoon"[TheOwlandtheMoon;The
MoonandtheOwl],lyricsJ.W.JohnsonandBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901;repr.Riis2015);alsoin
Klaw&Erlanger'sSleepingBeautyandtheBeastbelow;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"MyCastleontheNile,"lyricsJ.W.JohnsonandBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901;repr.Riis2015);sheetmusic
coversaysitisoneof"NewSongHitsIntroducedbyWilliamsand
Walker'sOwnBigCo."..."SungbytheGreatComedianBert
Williams";thatwouldbeinSonsofHam,1900-1901;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"Tellme,duskymaiden"(alsoinSleepingBeautybelow)
"MyHeart'sDesiahisMissMariah,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,
musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901;repr.Riis2015);
sungbyLewDockstaderinPrimrose&Dockstader'sMinstrels
1901,October:somesongsforTheLittleDuchess[Norton(2002)1901.25],
whichranOct1901-April1902;aHarrySmith/DeKovenshow,
directedbyZiegfeld,starringAnnaHeld,etc.
"TheMaidenWiththeDreamyEyes"(Maid,Girl),lyricsJ.W.Johnson,
musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1901;repr.Riis2015);abighit,
writtenforandsunginthisshowbybyAnnaHeld;J.W.Johnson
remembersitbroughtthemabigcheckandgothemoutofdebt;
thisisthesinglesongmentionedinfirstreportsofhisdeath;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"Strollin'AlongtheBeach,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson
(NY:Stern,1902),"AssunginAnnaHeld'sCo."
"SweetSaloma:serenade"[SweetSalome],lyricsBobColeandJ.W.
Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901)
1901,inNovember:TheNationalPoliceGazette,November16,1901,p.2,
reportsthat"EdH.Lesterisgoingtotakeachancewithanewshow,
called"TheCarnivalKing."ItistobeheadedbyBobCole,ofColeand
Johnson.Therewillbefortycoloredperformers.Hotstuff,eh?"
CouldthisbeCole's"CoontownCarnival,"orisitamishearingof
"CannibalKing"?
1901,November:atleastfoursongsforTheSleepingBeautyandtheBeast
[Norton(2002)1901.27];whiteshow;NYCandLondonDruryLane;
KlawandErlangerextravaganza;ranNov1901thruMay1902,etc.
"Comeout,Dinah,onthegreen:darkeyserenade"["Dinah"](Chicago&
NY:Howley,Haviland,andDresser,1901)
"Nobody'slookin'butdeowlan'demoon"(OwlandtheMoon;The
MoonandtheOwl;"Nobody'slookingbuttheOwlandtheMoon)
lyricsJ.W.JohnsonandBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:
Stern,1901);writtenforChristieMcDonald;"AssungintheKlaw
&ErlangerproductionoftheDruryLaneextravaganze,The
SleepingBeautyandtheBeast"
"TheOldFlagNeverTouchedtheGround,"lyricsJ.W.JohnsonandBob
Cole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901;repr.Riis
2015);"OriginallyIntroduced,&StagedbyPrimrose&
Dockstader'sMinstrels";"AStirringAmericanSong"
"Tellme,duskymaiden:atravesty"lyricsJ.W.JohnsonandBobCole,
musicJ.R.Johnson(NYandChicago:Howley,Haviland,and
Dresser,1901);"sungintheKlaw&Erlanger'sproductionofthe
DruryLaneextravaganza"TheSleepingBeautyandtheBeast."
StagedunderdirectionofBenTeal."
1901,December:threesongsforthethree-actcomedyTheSupperClub
[Norton(2002)1901.29],SydneyRosenfeld'smusicalcomedy;ran
December1901-Jan1902
"WhentheBandPlaysRagtime,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1902)
"Don'tButtIn,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,
1901);NB:alsodonebyLewDockstaderinPrimrose&
Dockstader'sMinstrels
"TheMaidenwiththeDreamyEyes,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(Sydney:Albert&Son,1901)
1901,inNovember/December:anysongsforMayIrwin'sTheWidowJones?
Apparentlynot.MissIrwinsings(SyracuseJournal,November30,1901,
p.12):
"BeGood,BeGood"
"IWantYou,MaHoney"
"TheFrogSong"
"TheNewBully"
"WhenShakespeareComestoTown"
"Goodbyebonze"
"TheSongoftheNapthaLaunch"
1902,January:TheHallofFame[Norton(2002)1902.06],SydneyRosenfeld's
musicalcomedy,ranlateJanuary/Feb-June1902,withsongsincluding:
"MyAngemimaGreen"(NY:Stern,1902);sungbyDanMcAvoyand
LouisHarrison
"TheMaidenwiththeDreamyEyes,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(Sydney:Albert&Son,1901)
1902,inMarchColemayhavegonebacktoworkonTheCannibalKing
withoutJ.W.Johnson,sincehewritesanarticleforColoredAmerican
MagazinewhichappearsinMarch1902,inwhichhesaysheiswriting
thelibrettoforCook("TheNegroandtheStage,"ColoredAmerican
Magazine4/3(March1902),pp.301-306atp.306);
theIndianapolisFreemanpicksuponthisandreportsinMaythatMr.
ColeiswritingalibrettoforMr.Cooke's"TheCannibalKing"and
Dunbarisoutofthebusiness(IndianapolisFreeman,May24,1902,p.
5)
1902SONGS
"TheMaidfromTokio.Japaneselovesong,"BobCole(NY:Howley,
Haviland,andDesser,1901);BobCole&Johnson[whichbrother
notspecified](NY:Howley,Haviland,andDesser,1902)
"Mandy,won'tyouletmebeyourbeau?"wordsBobCole,musicJ.R.
Johnson(NY:Stern,1902;NY:WEdwardB.Marks,1902),sungby
EddieLeonardinPrimroseandDockstader'sMinstrels
"WhentheMinstrelsCometoTown,"JRandCole(NY:Stern,1902);arr.
astwo-stepmarchwithtitle"Mandywon'tyouletmebeyour
beau"(NY:Stern,1902)
and
"Oh!Didn'theramble,"lyricsandmusicWillHandy[saidbysometobe
apseudonymfortheBobColeandJohnsonbrothersteam;
otherwiseusuallyidentifiedasW.C.Handy](NY:Stern,1902;NY:
Marks,1902;repr.Riis2015);
theoriginalsheetmusicjustsayssays"Words&MusicbyWill
Handy,"with"AdaptationbyBobCole"onthecover,andWill
Handyattheupperrightonthefistpageofthescore;Extraverses
inthesheetmusicsay"ByWillHandy,AdaptationbyBobCole,
andthusaWorldCatannotationsays"additionalverses"byCole.
Itisatwo-step;itisapopularsuccessrightoffthebat,remains
popularalongwhile,andinlaterdaysbecomesajazzstaple;
thereisanLoCcopyrightDec.12,1902foranarrangementby
MauriceF.Smithforband(NY:Stern,1902),withnomentionof
theoriginalauthor;
"ThelatestfadintownintroducedbythefamousminstrelGeorge
H.Primrose"onthesheetmusic;aJos.W.Sternsheetmusicadin
Billboard(1902)callsitacomiccoonsongsungbyPrimrose;NY
Herald,Sunday,March2,1902,SeventhSection,p.6,hasan
advertisementforPrimroseandDockstader'sMinstrelShowthat
says"Oh!Didn'tHeRamble"isasongsuccessforGeorgeW.
Primrose,whoissaidonthesheetmusictohaveintroducedit;
aNewYorkClipper,April18,1903,p.197advertisementforCole
andJ.R.Johnsonasavaudevilleteamsaystheycomposedit;
anadvertisementinVarietyandtheNewYorkDramaticMirror
forJ.RosamondJohnsonandtheJazzFive(n.d.,in1919)saysJ.R.
composedit;
NewmanIveyWhite,AmericanNegroFolk-Songs(1929),p.184,
callsit"BobCole'scoonsong,"andsaysitwascopyrightedin
1921;GeorgeAde,inTheOldTimeSaloon(1931),saysitwassaid
tohavebeenwrittenbyColearound1904andthecopyrightwas
renewedin1921byMarksMusicCo.;
AnextendedbiographicalsurveyofJ.W.JohnsonintheBennet
Daviscolumn,"BooksoftheWeekinReview"saysthissongwas
writtenbytheJohnsonbrothers(BuffaloCourier-Express,
October8,1933,p.4)
JohnSzwed,AlanLomax:TheManWhoRecordedtheWorld
(2010)saysLomaxdiscovered"thatitsmusicwasactuallydrawn
fromthemelodyofanoldEnglishsong,"TheRamofDarby"(p.
000)"
1902-1903
1902,August:onesonginSallyinourAlley[Norton(2002)1902.23],Hobart
andEnglander,starringMarieCahill,etc.,whichranAugust-December
1902
"UndertheBambooTree,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Stern,1902;
repr.Riis2015);agianthit;"ASuccessfulInterpolationbyMarie
CahillinSallyInOurAlley";originallyforTodalo?;saidtobe
writtenforMarieCahill,whichwouldruleoutTodalo;seealso
NancyBrownandRedMoon,below;sheetmusicfor"BigIndian
Chief"saysthissongisbyCole&JohnsonBrothers;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
andalso
"CongoLoveSong"(MaryCahill'sCongoLoveSong),lyricsJ.W.
Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1903);
interpolatedinthisshowbyMarieCahillacc.Riis;"Featuredby
thisPeerlessArtisteinDanielV.Arthur'sMusicalComedyEntitled
NancyBrown,"soseealsoNancyBrown,below;WorldCatfollows
sheetmusicatheadofscoreandsayslyricsJ.W.Johnsonand
musicJ.R.Johnson---thuswithnoinputfromCole,thoughthe
sheetmusicsays"byCole&JohnsonBros.,"asdoesthecoverof
thesheetmusicfor"BigIndianChief";advertisementsforCole
andJ.R.Johnsonasavaudevilleteamin1902and1903saythat
theyaretheauthors;clearlythisisacasewhere"Cole&Johnson"
canmeananytwoofthethree,thoughhere,infact,withoutCole;
Selectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
1902,inAugust:HuckleberryFinn,bigKlawandErlangerextravanganzafor
1902-1903,inrehearsalfromAugust,followingBeautyandtheBeast
"TheAnimals'Convention"J.W.JohnsonandCole(NY:Stern,1902);
repr.inCole&JohnsonVocalFolio(NY:Stern,1904)
1903,January:Mr.BlueBeard[Norton(2002)1903.04],Klaw&Erlanger
extravaganza,JantoMay1903,hadthissong:
"W'endeColo'edBan'ComesMa'chin'DowndeStreet,"lyricsPaul
Dunbar,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Howley,Haviland&
Dresser,1903);as"WhentheColoredBandComesMarching
DowntheStreet,"attr.byNorton(2002)toCole&Johnsons,
thoughthesheetmusicdoesnot,infact,makeanyreferenceto
Cole
1903,inFebruary:TheJewelofAsia[Norton(2002)1903.06],musicalintwo
acts,lyricsbyHarryB.SmithandFredericRanken,musicLudwig
Englander;aLedererproduction
"Everybodywantstoseethebaby"(HoldtheBaby),lyricsJ.W.Johnson,
musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1903)
1903,Feb:songsforNancyBrown,whichfirstranFebruarythroughMay,and
thentouredandbacktoNYCagaininthefalltoNovember;withJRand
JWJohnson,mostlyColeandJohnsonsongs;whiteshow,avehiclefor
MarieCahill;RankinandHadleypublishedscoreof17numbers,atleast
twoofwhichare(unidentified)Cole&Johnson,andthereisalistof
additionalinterpolationsonthebackcover
TheOpeningChorus,Cole&Johnsons
"TheKaty-did,theCricket,andtheFrog,"J.W.Johnson,musicBobCole
(NY:Stern,1903;repr.Riis2015);bigMarieCahillhit;also
publishedbyHearstinSundaysupplementsin1905
"TwoEyes,"Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1903);intheSternscoreand
IBDB
"Cupid'sRamble,orCupid'sBlind,TheySay,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.
Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1903);inthe
SternscoreandIBDB
"CongoLoveSong,"Jolhnson&Johnson(MaryCahill'sCongoLove
Song);interpolatedbyMarieCahill;aCahillhit
Perhapsforthesecondrun:
"SaveItForMe!"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1903;
repr.Riis2015);"RecentlyIntroducedbybyMarieCahill[into]
NancyBrown";in1904Sternads
"InGayBallyhoo"
"OctettetoBacchus"
"TheSoldieristheIdoloftheNation"
andalsotheCahillandMayIrwinhits:
"UndertheBambooTree"(1902),interpolatedbyMarieCahill
"MudderKnows,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:
Stern,1903;repr.Riis2015)
"Ma/MyMississippiBelle"(1900)
"MagdaleneMySouthernQueen"(1900)
Sometimein1903thetrioofColeandtheJohnsonbrotherssignathree-year
contractwithKlawandErlanger.
1903SONGS
"MoonlightontheMississippi,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1903);sungbyCarrollJohnsonin
Dockstader'sMinstrels
"ShineOnMyEveningStar,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson
(NY:Stern,1903)
1903-1904
1903,September:songsforWhoop-dee-doo[Norton(2002),1903.28],which
ranfromSept1903toMay1904,including:
"TheFlowersofDixieLand,"lyricsEdgarSmithandBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(acc.IBDB,whichsaysitwassungby"The
Rose,theSunflower,andtheMagnolia")
"TheMaidofTimbuctoo,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:
Stern,1903);introducedbyLillianRussellinWhoop-dee-doo
1903,September:A/TheGirlFromDixie[Norton(2002)1903.41]
"WhentheMoonComesPeeping[a'peepin']O'ertheHill,"lyricsCole,
musicJ.R.Johnson(NY:Stern,1902);sungbyIreneBentley
1903,October:MotherGoose[Norton(2002)1903.39],anotherKlaw&
Erlangerextravaganza(nextafterHuckFinn)
"There'saVeryPrettyMoonTonight,"lyricsCole&J.W.Johnson,music
J.R.Johnson(NY:Stern,1903)
"TheEvolutionofRagtime",abigsix-itemensemblenumber(Cole&the
Johnsonsvariouslycontributing;allpublishedseparatelywithNY:
Stern,1903)including:
VoiceoftheSavage
EchoesoftheDay
EssenceoftheJug
DarkiesDelight
TheSpiritoftheBanjo!
Lindy:SoundsoftheTimes
NOTE:"VoiceoftheSavage.(Zuludance),"lyricsCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1903)
NOTE:"EchoesoftheDay:DaylightisFading,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,
musicbyJ.R.Johnson(NY:Stern,1903);LoCcopyrightDecember
3,1903;
NOTE:"EssenceoftheJug,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:
Stern,1903);LoCcopyrightDecember3,1903
NOTE:"Darkies'delight:introducing'Carvedat'possum',"lyricsJ.W.
Johnson,musicCole(NY:Stern,1903);LoCcopyrightDecember3,
1903;laterpublishedintheTenChoiceNegroFolkSongs(NY:
Glove,1909)ofSterncataloguesongsmostlybyColeandJ.R.
Johnson;WorldCatcitesfromthe1905LadiesHomeJournalissue
thathadasetofColeandJohnsonsongs,ofwhichthiswasthe
second:"[thissong]illustratestheearlieststyleofnegropopular
music.Songsofthatperiodwerealmostalwaysaboutgoodthings
toeat,orgoodtimes.Themostfamousone...was'Carvedat
'possum,'writtenbySamLucas";theLucasnumberwasasong
publishedin1875;seealso"SpiritoftheBanjo"
NOTE:"TheSpiritoftheBanjo,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,music
J.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1903;repr.Riis2015);thethird
offoursongsthataresupposedtorepresentthegrowthofthe
formsofnegromusicfromthedaysofoldminstrelsytothe
present;thisthirdsongrepresentstheold-timebanjosongofthe
cotton-fields;thesheetmusiccoversaysitisoneof"PeterF.
Dailey'sFamousSongsuccesses,"anditwas"SungatKlawand
Erlanger'sAerialTheatre,NewYorkCity";inLadiesHomeJournal,
July1905
NOTE:"Soundsofthetimes:Lindy"(orjust"Lindy"),wordsJ.W.
Johsnon,musicColeandJ.R.Johnson(NY:Stern,1903);obviously
themost"modernday"ofthesongsintheseries;
also"SungatKlaw&Erlanger'sAerialTheatre,NewYork"
1903,inNovember:TheOfficeBoy[Norton(2002)1903.34],lyricsHarryB.
Smith,musicEnglander
"WhentheBandPlaysRagtime,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicCole(NY:
Stern,1902),reprintedwithstatementonthecover:"Vocaland
instrumentalsuccessesinCharlesB.Dillingham'smagnificent
production,'Theofficeboy,'comedyopera"
1904,January:twosongsforAnEnglishDaisy[Norton(2002),1904.04],runs
Jan-Feb1904
"BigIndianChief,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.R.Johnson(NY:Stern,1904;
repr.Riis2015);sheetmusiccoversays"WrittenEspeciallyFor
the16thAnnualProductionofTheMask&WigClubofthe
UniversityofPennsylvania";
the"Mask&Wig"associationisconfirmedbytheNYAge,Autumn
Expositionsupplement,whichsaysthissongwillbesungatthe
"SongsofOldenDays"eventonOctober1,andthatitwaswritten
especiallyfortheMask&WigClub"andwasatremendousselling
success";
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"APrepossessingLittleMaid,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.R.Johnson(NY:
Stern,1904);"IntroducedbythepopularChristieMcDonaldin
WeberandField'smagnificentproduction,TheEnglishDaisy"
1904,June:KlawandErlangerpresentALittleBitofEverything[Norton
(2002)1904.22],avaudevilleentertainment,attheirAerialGardens,
sungontheroofoftheNewAmsterdamtheatrefromJunethru
September,andthenintothefall(e.g.,inBostoninOctober),withstars
includingMissFayTempleton;seeNYSundayTelegraph,July10,1904,
p.7andIBDB;alargenumberofsongsbyCole&Johnsons;songs,
alphabetically,includethefollowing,and*ifpublishedbySternin1904:
*"ComoleGusta?=HowDoYouLikeMe?:taleofthegayLothario"
(ComoleGustaMe),lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:
Stern,1904);sungbyFayTempleton
*"Don'tWakeHimUp:LetHimDream"(LetHimDream),lyricsJ.W.
Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1904)
*"Fishing,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,
1904;Sydney:Albert&Son,1904);sheetmusiccoversaysbyCole
&JohnsonBrothers,butatheadofscoreitsayslyricsJ.W.and
musicJ.R.;"FayTempleton'sLatestSongSensations";"Sungand
KlawandErlanger'sAerialTheatre,NewYork"
*"LeaveIttoBill,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Stern,1904);"Sungat
KlawandErlanger'sAerialTheatre,NewYork."
"Lindy:soundsoftheTimes"from"TheEvolutionofRagtime"(from
MotherGoose(1903))
*"SpiritoftheBanjo,"from"TheEvolutionofRagtime"(fromMother
Goose(1903))
[NB:Norton(2002)saysallof"TheEvolutionofRagtime"was
done]
*"ThatPrettyLittleSquawFromUtah,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1904);
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
*"ThereisSomethingAboutYouThatILove,Love,Love"lyricsJ.W.
Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1904)
1904,August:LooneyDreamland,minimusicalskitforBlackPattiandJohn
Ruckerin1904-1905and1905-1906;
manyhitsonthisname,thoughPetersonhasCooneyDreamland,which
isevidentlyanerror;butNB:onehiteachin1904and1905callit
LooneyCooneyDreamland;
"Looney"isrightbecausetheskitisaboutLunaParkandDreamlandat
ConeyIsland;
foritsrepertoire,whichdrawsonrecentCole&Johnsonnumbersfor
whiteshows,see,interalia,SyracuseDailyJournal,August20,1904,p.
12;IndianapolisFreeman,September17,1904,p.5;ForthWorthStarTelegram,November2,1904,p.7
"Allaboardfordreamland"byvonTilzer
"Whenthecoonshaveadreamlandoftheirown,"byHeelanandHelf
"Dollie"
"GimmedeLeavin's,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,
1904);forJohnRucker,the"AlabamaBlossom"
"LeaveIttoBill,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Stern,1904)
"BigIndianChief,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:
Stern,1904;repr.Riis2015);bigchoralnumber
"MaidofTimbuctoo,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,
1903)
"LazyMoon,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,
1903;repr.Riis2015);writtenforGeo.Primrose,andsome
printingshavephotoofGeo.Primrose;sungbyhiminhisMinstrel
showc.1903beforeturningupayearlaterinthisshow
Cole&JohnsonVocalFolio(NY:Stern,1904),21songs(80pp.),alphabetical
intheoriginal:
Ain'tdatscan'lous?--(NY:Stern,1901)
Don'tbuttin!--(NY:Stern,1901)
Everybodywantstoseethebaby--(NY:Stern,1903)
LouisianaLize--(NY:Stern,1899)
MadalenemySouthernqueen--(NY:Stern,1900)
MaMississippibelle--(NY:Stern,1900)
MyAngemimagreen--(NY:Stern,1902)
MycastleontheNile--(NY:Stern,1901)
Myheart'sdesiah--(NY:Stern,1901)
Nouseinaskin''causeyouknowthereasonwhy--(NY:Stern,1901)
Since[sence]youwentaway--(NY:Stern,1900)
Shineonmyeveningstar!--(NY:Stern,1903)
Strollingalongthebeach--(NY:Stern,1902)
SweetSaloma--(NY:Stern,1901)
Theanimals'convention--(NY:Stern,1902)
TheKaty-did,thecricketandthefrog--(NY:Stern,1903)
Theoldflagnevertouchedtheground--(NY:Stern,1901)
Whenthebandplaysragtime--(NY:Stern,1902)
"WhenDeJackO'LanternStartstoWalkAbout,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.
Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901)
Whentheminstrelscometotown--(NY:Stern,1902)
Whydon'tthebandplay--(NY:Stern,1900)
1904-1905
1904,October:Langevin'sYorkStateMinstrels,andLewDockstader's
minstrelshowbothfeatureanactorinblack-facesingingthis:
"TheCountessofAlagazam"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Stern,1904;
repr.Riis2015),"TheLatestCoonCrazeinTown;Introducedby
JohnH.KinginDockstader'sMinstrels"
1904,November:HumptyDumpty(Norton(2002)104.47)
almostallthesongsarebyColeandJohnsonandareretainedintothe
revival;aKlawandErlangerextravaganzaorpantomime;whiteshow,
nextaftertheirMotherGoose;intheirusualpatternitpremieredin
LondonandmovedtoNYC;openedonMonday,November14,1904at
theNewAmsterdam;ranNov.1904thruMarch1905andwasrevived
forMarch1906(IndianapolisFreeman,February11,1905,p.2;
IndianapolisFreeman,February25,1905,p.5;BostonHerald,March
21,1905,p.10)
PopularHumptyDumpty:aselection(NY:Stern,1905)isan11-page
arrangementforpianoofmusicfromtheshow.
Sheetmusicfor"Mexico"hasalistof11titlesfromtheshow.
ActI
"IAmtheKing"(Freeman)
"MaryFromTipperary"ibdb;byNugent
"TheEggHasFallenDown"ibdb
"WillHeEverSmileAgain"ibdb
"[The]PussyandtheBow-Wow,"Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,
1904/1905);ibdb;Freeman;Riis
"WegotoFindtheRing"ibdb
"Mexico,"lyricsColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicCole(NY:Stern,1904);
Freeman;NYClipper;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"Fairyland"(ibdb;Freeman)
ActII
"SamboandDinah,"lyricsColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicCole(NY:Stern,
1904/1905);Freeman;NYClipper;
"CupidReignsKing,"byFredSolomon(Freeman)
"DowninMulberryBend,"Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1904/1905);
ibdb;Freeman;Riis
"Man,Man,Man,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicCole(NY:Stern,1904);
(Freeman)
ActIII
"I'maVeryGoodSailoronLand"(Freeman)
"DownattheBottomoftheSea"(quartet;ibdb;Freeman)
"OnLalawana'sshore:SouthSeaislandlovesong,"Johnson&Johnson
(NY:Stern,1904);
LakawannainNYClipper,butLalawanaistheword(newspaper
hits;ibdb;NYClipper;Freeman;Riis);onesheetmusiccovercalls
it"FayTempleton'sSouthSeaislandlovesong";alsosungby
MaudeLillianBarri
"Fishing,"Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1904);Riis
1904,December:InNewport(Norton(2002)1904.56)
someColeandJohnsonsongs;whiteshow,Klaw&Erlanger;ranDec.
1904thruJan1905(IndianapolisFreeman,February25,1905,p.5)
ActI
"TheHouseThatJackBuilt,"byWincott&Leighton(1901)?;ibdb
"Don'tCome[go][get]tooDangerouslyNigh"
"WhenIamtheChiefofPolice"
"Scandal"
"TheNewportDip"ibdb
ActII
"TheRehearsal"ibdb
"Stockings"
"NobodyButYou,"byFayTempleton;ibdb
"Hello,MyLulu,"Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1905);ibdb;successby
PeterF.Dailey
"Zel,Zel,ArabianLoveSong,"lyricsJ.W.,Johnson,musicCole(NY:Stern,
1905)
"RoamingAroundtheTown"(inaSternanthology,NY:Stern,1906)
"Peggyis[Polly's]aNewYorkerNow"
ActIII
"SoundsoftheTimes,"Cole&Johnsons(Riis)
"TheSpiritoftheBanjo,"Cole&Johnsons(Riis)
"Lindy:soundsofthetimes,"Cole&Johnsons
"MaryWasaManicure"
"AlltheWorldLovesaLover"(Freeman)
"AfterMarriage"(Freeman)
"Women,"mentionedbyareviewer
"HowaMonocleHelpstheMind,"mentionedbyareviewer
1905,inJulyandAugust:Cole&JohnsontoLondontostagemusicalnumbers
forthelatestKlaw&ErlangerLondonproductionbutthereisnolater
signofthisproduction;theyareheavilybilledfortheirLondondebutin
vaudeville;theyleaveforLeHavreonJune15fortwoweeksinParis,
thentwoweekstouringBelgiumandHolland,andthentoLondonby
July15forperformancesatthePalaceTheatre
(GhostWalks,p.345;Billboard,n.d.(ca.June1,1905),p.12;
IndianapolisFreeman,August19,1905,p.5;IndianapolisFreeman,
August26,1905,p.5);forBobCole&J.R.JohnsoninLondonatthe
PalaceTheatreinJulyandAugust1905,seeTheObserverhits;NB:
CommentinIndianapolisFreeman,December9,1905,p.5articleon
WMCinEuropewithTennesseeStudentssaysBobCole&BillyJohnson
(anerrorforJ.R.!)wereinvaudevilleatthePalaceTheatreinLondon,
andincontextthiswasnotverylongbefore;theyareheadliningin
LondonatthePalacenotlongbefore(IndianapolisFreeman,September
9,1905,p.5)
1905SONGS
"MyLuluSan.JapaneseLoveSong,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole
(NY:Stern,1905);
"AssunginMr.HamletofDenmark,17thannualproductionofthe
MaskandWigClub[UniversityofPennsylvania]"
1905-1906
TheconnectionwithKlawandErlangerappearstobesevered.Cole&Johnson
arebackinNYCandinvaudevillethisyear,buttheirsongproductionseems
slight;surelythisisonaccountofwritingTheShoo-FlyRegiment
1905:The"SamboGirls,"later"Cole&Johnson'sSamboGirlswithEdgar
Connor,"apopularactownedbyCole&JohnsonsfromOctober1905to
1913thatraninvaudeville;ithadpriorandsubsequenthistoryunder
othermanagement;thisactwasalaunchingpadforEvaTanguayinher
career;Cole'sownershipoftheshowisoneoftheitemsmentionedin
thefirstreportsofhisdeath
1905,inSeptember:Cole&JohnsonreturntotheUSonSeptember2,1905
fromLiverpoolontheLucania(NYCPassengerLists)
1905,inSeptember:Cole&JohnsonareinvaudevilleinNYC(Indianapolis
Freeman,September30,1905,p.5)
1905,inOctober:Cole&JohnsonareinNYC(IndianapolisFreeman,October
14,1905,p.5)
1905,October:Moonshine(Norton(2002)1905.45)
runningOct1905-Jan1906,featuringMarieCahillsinging:
"TheConjureMan,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,
1905)
1905,inOctober:IndianapolisFreeman,October28,1905,p.5saysthey've
heardthatCole&Johnsonaregoingoutwithabigcompanyattheend
oftheyear,andthatWMCwilltrainthechorus(ananticipationofthe
1906Shoo-FlyRegiment);anaccountinNovembersaysWMCiswriting
anoperaforCole&Johnson(NYMorningTelegraph,November20,
1905,p.10);
1905,inNovember:WillMarionCookarrivedbackfromSouthamptontoNYC
onthe"St.Paul"onNovember19,1905;heturnsupatHammerstein's
VictoriawithoneofhischildrenandgivestheMorningTelegraphan
interview:hearrivedyesterday,leavingAbbieandatroupeof18in
Paris,andheiswritinganoperaforCole&Johnson;moreover,"A
Londonmanagerisgoingtoleaseatheatrefornegroperformers
exclusively,"announcedCook.Cole&Johnsonwillopenthishouse,and
theycanstayaslongastheywish"(NYMorningTelegraph,November
20,1905,p.10)
1906,February:atProctor's23rdStreet;ColeandJohnsonperformedanew
medleyofoldsongs(thoughnotthatold!):
"I'llkeepawarmspotinmyheartforyou,"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.
Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1906);"There'sa
warmspotinmyheartforyou"isaColeandBillyJohnsonsongof
1898;thisnewnumberissungbyAidaOvertonWalkerin
Abyssinia;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"Mexico,"Cole&J.W.Johnson(NY:Stern,1904)
"Father'sGotaJob,"lyricsColeandJ.W.Johnson,musicCole(NY:Stern,
1906)
"LazyMoon,"lyricsCole,musicJ.R.,Johnson(NY:Stern,1903)(encore)
1906,inFebruary:nowintothenewyear,thebignewprojectisstillfluid;
theirnewmilitaryplaywithmusicisexpectedtowardstheendof
February1906withacompanyof55underthemanagementofSamuel
L.Tuck(IndianapolisFreeman,February10,1906,p.5);theyare
writingeverything---book,lyrics,music---themselves(Indianapolis
Freeman,April28,1906,p.5);thenamuchlaterstorysaystheshow
willbeunderthemanagementofMelvilleB.Raymond;thisshiftin
managementmayindicateproblemsgettingtheshowinitiallyoffthe
ground(FortWorthStar-Telegram,September17,1906,p.3)
1906,April:somesongsforShylockandCo.,Bankers(burlesque),thenew
EasterWeekburlesquefortheMaskandWigCluboftheUniversityof
Pennsylvania(18thannual---theydidsongsfor1904,1905,1906):
"Won'tYourMammaLetYouComeOutandPlay,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,
musicBobCole(NY:Stern,1906)
"MyOneandOnly,"lyricsJ.W.Johnson,musicBobCole(NY:Stern,
1906)
"ComeMyLoveandGowithMe"lyricsBobColeandJ.W.Johnson,
musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1906)
1906,inApril:settingasidethebignewmusicalcomedy,theteamisnowin
Europe(IndianapolisFreeman,April28,1906,p.5)
1906,inJune:WillMarionCookisbeingconsideredaspossiblemusicdirector
forCole&Johnson'sShoo-FlyRegiment(IndianapolisFreeman,June9,
1906,p.5)
1906,inJune:J.RosamondJohnsonreturnstoUSfromLiverpoolonthe
UmbriaonJune10,1906(NYCPassengerList);likelythatColewasalso
onthatship
1906,August:MarryingMary(Norton(2002)1906.27)
acoupleofsongs?;whiteshow,thelatestvehicleforMarieCahill,runs
Aug-Oct1906;withJRandJWJohnsonsongs(aghostreference?or
weretherelaterinterpolations?)
"HottentotLoveSong,"atwo-step,forMarieCahill,byBenjaminBurt
andSilvioHein(NY:Stern,1906),andsometimescalled"Marie
Cahill'sHottentotLoveSong"andcopyrightunderthattitleby
BurtandHein,Aug.27/28,1906;
Billboard,July2,1949,p.42saysitisbyCole&Johnson,anditis
saidtobebythembyBernardL.PetersoninACenturyof
Musicals,butmostnewspaperreferencesofthedaysayitisby
SilvioHein,nottomentionWorldCat,etc.;Norton(2002)saysitis
byCole&Johnsons
Atthismoment,aftercollaboratingonsongsfortheupcomingshow,J.W.
Johnsonstepsoutofthepictureandmovesprofessionallyinanother
direction.Hetakesadiplomaticpositionin1906inVenezuela,asUSConsulin
PuertoCabello;in1909heispromotedandgoestoNicaragua.Heremembers
theyearsofthe"Trimvirate"ofCole&JohnsonBrothersinshowbusiness
togetherasseveninall,thus1899-1906.
1906-1907
THESHOO-FLYREGIMENT
1906-07;1907-08:Colebeginsfouryears,intwotwo-yearstints,ontourwith
twoCole&J.R.Johnsonvehicles:TheShoo-FlyRegimentover1906-1908and
TheRedMoonover1908-1910;thismarkstheirreturntomusicalcomedy,
leavingvaudeville,andwiththedepartureofJ.W.Johnson.
1906,inAugust:TheShoo-FlyRegiment
OpensinAugust1906.Mostlytheirownmaterial;BobColeismostoften
thelyricistforJ.R.Johnson'smusic;inlate1905andearliest1906WMC
mighthavebeengoingtocomeaboard(asabove);intheevent,James
ReeseEuropeisfirstmusicdirector,inchargeoforchestraandchorus,
butonlyinfirstseasonuntilFeb.1907.TheShoo-FlyRegimentopensin
Washington,DC,attheMajesticonAugust20,1906(EveningStar(DC),
August15,1906,p.16;EveningStar(DC),August19,1906,p.18;
EveningStar(DC),August21,1906,p.16),thoughoncewasexpectedto
openatCumberland,MDonAugust27(ClevelandGazette,August1,
1906,p.1;IndianapolisFreeman,August4,1906,p.5)
NB:Shoo-FlySongs---songbookoftennumbers(NY:Stern,1906);
inWorldCatthereisahitwhichisprobablythesameitem:The
Shoo-FlyRegiment,book,lyrics,andmelodiesbyCole&Johnson
(NY:Stern,1906-1907),withtennumbers;onecopycatalogued,
atBritishLibrary,andIhavenotseenitscontents
anotesaysthesong"Won'tYoubeMyLittleBrownBear?"isby
BobCole,suggestingthatfortheothersheislyricistbutnot
composer
SongsfromWorldCatandIBDB,etc.,with*ifinalistof14onaStern
sheetmusiccoverfortheshow,andXifinthelistofsevenunpublished
songscopyrightbyCole&JohnsoninAugust1906;1/ifinNorton
(2002)program:
*1/De(The)Bo'dofEducation,Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1906,
1907)
1/DowninthePhilippines[ibdb]
*X1/FloatingDowntheNile,Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1906);LoC
Aug.15/23,1906
X1/TheGhostofDeaconBrown,Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1906);
LoCAug.15/23,1906
*"ICan'tThinkofNothin'intheWide,WideWorldButYou,"lyricsBob
Cole,MusicJ.RosamondJonson(NY:Stern,1907);Norton(2002)
saysitisanadditionalsongassociatedwiththeshow
"IThinkanAwfulLotofYou,"AndersonandJordan(NY:Witmark,
1907);Norton(2002)saysitisanadditionalsongassociatedwith
theshow
X1/"IfAdamHadn'tSeentheAppleTree,"lyricsandmusicBobCole
(NY:Stern,1906);LoCcopyrightAugust21,1906
X1/"I'llAlwaysLoveOldDixie,"Johnson&Johnson(NY:Stern,1906);
LoCcopyrightAugust20,1906;ibdb
*I'llFightfortheDearOldFlag
*X1/JustHowMuchILoveYou,lyricsBobCole,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1906);LoCAug.15/23,1906
1/Lemons[Lemmons][ibdb]
*1/"Li'lGal"[LittleGal;Lit'lGal],lyricsDunbar,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1902,1905)
1/TheLittleChoo-chooGee-Gee[ibdb]
MySweetheart'saSoldierintheArmy;Norton(2002)saysitisan
additionalsongassociatedwiththeshow
*MySusanna
*1/TheOldFlagNeverTouchedtheGround;finale,"lyricsBobColeand
J.W.Johnson,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1901);ibdb
*1/"OntheGayLuneta,"lyricsBobCole,musicJamesReeseEurope
(NY:Stern,1906);
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
*OnceUponaTime
X1/Run,BrudderRabbit,Run[LoCAug.15/23,1906;ibdb][sameas
"Run,brudderpossum"?)
1/Southland,Johnson&Johnson;[ibdb]
*"SugarBabe,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,
1907repr.Riis2015)
ThatStill,SmallVoice;Norton(2002)saysitisanadditionalsong
associatedwiththeshow
*"There'sAlwaysSomethingWrong:comiccoonsong,"lyricsBobCole,
musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1907);Norton(2002)says
itisanadditionalsongassociatedwiththeshow
1/"We'veBeentoBostonTown"[ibdb]
*X1/"WhoDoYouLove?"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson
(NY:Stern,1906;repr.Riis2015);LoCAugust21,1906
*"Won'tYouBeMyLittleBrownBear?"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1907);Norton(2002)saysitisan
additionalsongassociatedwiththeshow;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
Shoo-FlyRegiment,ProgramforYearI(Norton(2002),I:861-62[1907.22]),
withaninterestingdisconnectfromthesongsintheSternsongbook:
ActI
OpeningChorus
DeBo'dofEducation
TheLittleChoo-choo,Gee-gee
JustHowMuchILoveYou
IfAdamHadn'tSeentheAppleTree
I'llAlwaysLoveOldDixie
Run,BrudderRabbit,Run
ActII
Southland
L'ilGal
TheGhostofDeaconBrown
OntheGayLuneta
Ballet
Lemons
ActIII.
OpeningChorus
We'veBeentoBostonTown
WhoDoYouLove,lyricsCole
FloatingDowntheNile
DowninthePhilippines
TheOldFlagNeverTouchedtheGround(Finale)
NB:TheShoo-FlyRegiment,SecondSeason(1907-1908)songsneedisolating.
1908,inMay:Forthesummer,ColeandJ.R.Johnsonaregoingintovaudeville
withaboutahalfdozenothersinthetroupe,andtheorchstraisdirected
byJamesReeseEuropewhiletheactison;moreover,Europe,whohad
leftCole&JohnsonlateinthefirstseasonofTheShoo-FlyRegiment
andledtheSmarSetthislastseason,willre-joinCole&Johnsonas
musicdirectorfortheupcomingseason(NYAge,May14,1908,p.6)
1908,inJuly:ColeisafoundingmemberoftheFrogs(see,interalia,NYAge,
July9,1908,p.6;NYAge,August6,1908,p.6;NYAge,August13,1908,
p.6).
1908SONGS
"SweetestGalinTown,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson
(NY:Stern,1908)
1908-1909
THEREDMOON
1908:TheRedMoonbeginsitsfirstseason;itfeaturesAbbieMitchell;Cole&
J.R.Johnsonarebigcreativeteam;seasononehasadditionalmusicbyJRE
andadditionallyricsbyCharlesA.Hunter;intheend,fivesongsco-written
withJamesReeseEurope(threeforseasononeandtwoforseasontwo),who
ismusicdirectorforaseasonandahalf,fromnowuntilDecember1909.The
secondaryliteraturesometimescreditsJoeJordanwithlotsofthisshow,for
noreasonthatIhaveseen.
SONGS.NB:strongcorrelationbetweenyear1andyear2referencesand1908
or1909publicationdates.
*indicatesonlistof12onsheetmusiccoverfor"Ada"and"TheBigRed
Shawl"
#indicatesonsheetmusicfor"Pliney"
I/meansin1908version,esp.viaNYAgeandBillboardandFreeman;
II/meansnewin1909version,esp.viaNYAge
--------
*I/"Ada,MySweetPotater,"lyricsCharlesHunter,musicBobColeand
JamesReeseEurope(NY:Stern,1908)
#II/"AsLongastheWorldGoesRound"(RollsOn),lyricsBobCole,
music,J.RosamondJohnson(NY:Remick,1909);sungbyAbbie
Mitchellbeforesheleaves;mentionedinearlyyear2Walton
review;WorldCathit;Norton(2002)saysitisanadditionalsong
associatedwiththeshow)
*I/"TheBigRedShawl"[TheRedShawl],lyricsBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1908;repr.Riis2015)
*I/"TheBleedingMoon"(BleedingMoon,Bleedin'Moon),lyricsBob
Cole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1908;repr.Riis
2015);sungbyFannieWiseinActII;
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
I/"Checkers[LifeisaGameofCheckers],"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1908)
*I/"CupidWas[Is]AnIndianPickanniny"(NY:Stern,1908);Norton
(2002)saysitisanadditionalsongassociatedwiththeshow
I/"Don'tTellTalesOutofSchool"(callednewin1909Freemanart.;cit.
ChicagoBroadAxe,November20,1909,p.1;inMayofYearIacc
Norton(2002)program)
#II/"Hoola-Woola"(orinsomenewspapers,"Coola-Woo-La"or"Coola
Woola"),lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:Remick,
1909);Walton'syear2reviewcallsitanewsong;mentionedin
year2arts.inChicagoBroadAxeandIndianapolisFreeman
*I/"IAin'tHadNoLovin'inaLongTime"(Ain'tHadNoLovin'InaLong
Time),lyricsBobCole,musicJamesReeseEurope(NY:Stern,
1908)
I/"ILoveButYou."(BillboardSept.12,1908,p.11ref.)
*"IWantMyChicken."(noyear;Bauman)(NY:Stern,1908);Norton
(2002)saysitisanadditionalsongassociatedwiththeshow,and
itisonSternsheetmusiccoverlist
*I/"I've[I]LostMyTeddyBear,"lyricsBobCole,music,J.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1908);Norton(2002)saysitisanadditional
songassociatedwiththeshow,anditisonSternsheetmusic
coverlist;alsosungbyAnnaHeldinZiegfeld'sMissInnocence
I/"KeeponSmiling"(mentionedin1908FreemanandNYTMay1909
stories;isittheRemick1907song?)
*"Lifeisagameofcheckers,"lyricsBobColeandChas.Hunter,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Stern,1908);itisonSternsheetmusic
coverlist;
"LoveMeBabyMine,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:
Stern,1909)
*I/"MyIndianMaid"(BaumanandBillboardSept.12,1908,p.11refs.)
(NY:Stern,1908);Norton(2002)saysitisanadditionalsong
associatedwiththeshow,anditisonSternsheetmusiccoverlist
*I/"OntheRoadtoMonterey,"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:Stern,
1908;repr.Riis2015);twopagesofJ.R.Johnson'sorchestration
ofthissongforTheRedMoonarepublishedinRiis2015,pp.12021
*I/"ThePathwayofLove"[toLove],lyricsBobCole,musicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1908;repr.Riis2015);mentionedin1908
Freemanart.;ayearonevehicleforstarAbbieMitchell
#II/"PhoebeBrown,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.RosamondJohnson(NY:
Remick,1909);forAdaOvertonWalkerandtheGirls
#II/"PickaninnyDays,"lyricsBobCole,musicJamesReeseEurope(NY:
Remick,1909);forAdaOvertonWalker
#II/"PlineyComeOutintheMoonlight"[Pliney,Won'tYouComeOutin
theMoonLight],lyricsBobCole,musicJamesReeseEurope(NY:
Remick,1910)
I/"RedMoon."(IsthisjustanothernameforYearI"BleedingMoon"or
"RedShawl"?(Baumanref.andPetersonref.probablybothfrom
WaltonNYAgeart.);Norton(2002)saysitisanadditionalsong
associatedwiththeshow,byJamesReeseEurope;forAbbie
MitchellasMinnehaha
I/"Run,BrudderPossum,Run"(mentionedin1909Freemanart.as
"RunBillyPossum";NYTMay1909atendofyear1callsit"Run,
BillyPossum,Run",asdoChristianScienceMonitor,Chicago
BroadAxe,andSpringfieldDailyIllinoisStateRegisterinyear2);
thisissurelythesongbytheJohnsonBrothers(NY:Rogers,1900)
with"Brudder"herereplacedby"Billy";"BillyPossum"isa
famousfigureinpopularcultureatthistime
*I/"Sambo,"lyricsBobCole,musicJamesReeseEurope(NY:Stern,
1908);
Aselectionfor"SongsofOldenDays,"Thursdayevening,Oct.1,at
theAutumnExposition,Sept.-Oct.1914
"TheSameOldSilv'ryMoonisShining,"lyricsBobCole,musicJ.
RosamondJohnson(NY:Remick,1909);LoCcopyrightOct.26,
1909;surelyyear2(e.g.,mentioninSpringfieldDailyIllinoisState
Register,December10,1909,p.16andChicagoBroadAxe,
November20,1909,p.1)
"To-Da-LoTwoStep,"or"TheRedMoonTo-da-lo--TwoStep"(Joe
Jordan?),aversionoftheverypopulardanceofthemoment
II/"WildfireDance"(or"Wildfire";anaboriginaldance,forAdaOverton
Walker)
I/"WhenItakeMySeatinCongress"(Billboard,Sept.12,1908,p.11
ref.)
I/"WhyDidILeaveMyHappyHome"(Billboard,Sept.12,1908,p.11
ref.)
REDMOONProgram,Year1(Norton(2002),I:913[1901.10])
ActI
OpeningChorus
"LifeisaGameofCheckers"
"KeepOnSmilin'"
"Don'tTellTalesOutofSchool"
"ILoveButYou"
"AdaMySweetPotater,"lyricsChas.Hunter,musicBobColeandJames
ReeseEurope
Finale
ActII
Prelude
"BleedingMoon"
"TheBigRedShawl"
"thePathwayofLove"
"OntheRoadtoMonterey"
WarDance
ActIII
"RedMoonTo-da-lo"
"Sambo,"byJamesReeseEurope
Pianologue
"HoolaWoola"
"Run,BillyPossum,Run"
"IAin'tHadNoLovin'inaLongTime,"JamesReeseEurope
"LoveMe,BabyMine"
Finale
1909SONGPUBLICATION
TenChoiceNegroFolkSongsforVoiceandPianoforte(NY:GlobeMusicCo.,
1909);nos.1-8areCole&Johnsonssongs:
Nobody'slookin'buttheowlandthemoon[1901]
SugarBabe[1907]
Mudderknows[1903]
Run,BrudderRabbit,run![1906]
Lazymoon[1903]
Lit'lgal[1902]
MoonlightontheMississippi[1903]
Darkiesdelight;Intro:Carvedatpossum[1903]
and
"Ican'tthinkobnuthin'elsebutyou,[Lulu!],"HarryDacre[1896]
"ConsolationLane,"ChrisSmithJ.TimBrymn,andJamesBurris[1909]
1909-1910:
1909:TheRedMoonbeginsitssecondseason,inanewversionwithmajor
changes,esp.toincorporateAdaOvertonWalker;AbbieMitchellresigns
inearlySeptember1909andgoesintovaudevillewithex-husband
WMC.Theshowrunsforafullseason,atleastupthroughatwo-week
engagementfromMondayMay2,1910inWashington(Washington
EveningStar,May3,1910,p.10;WashingtonBee,May14,1910,p.1;
WashingtonEveningStar,May10,1910,p.18)
REDMOONProgram,Year2(ChicagoBroadAxe,November20,1909,p.1,2)
ActI
OpeningChorus
"TheSameOldMoonisShining"
"KeepOnSmilin'"
"Don'tTellTalesOutofSchool"
"PickinninyDays"
"Pliney,Won'tYouComeOutintheMoonLight"
Finale
ActII
Prelude
"BleedingMoon"
"TheBigRedShawl"
"OntheRoadtoMonterey"
WildfireDance
Finale
ActIII
"RedMoonTo-da-lo"
"Sambo"
Pianologue
"HoolaWoola"
"Run,BillyPossum,Run"
OldSongs
"PhoebeBrown"
Finale
1910,summer:TheRedMoonclosesfortheseasoninmidMay;Colereturns
tothevaudevillestagewithJ.R.Johnsoninthesummer.Reportedly,he
wastryingtowriteanewplayforhisowncompanyandalsoanother
playasavehicleforAidaOvertonWalker(Russellobit,Chicago
Defender,August12,1911,p.1)
1910SONGS
"Oh,YouGeorgiaRose,"lyricsSheltonBrooksandW.R.Williams,music
BobColeandJohnnieWaters,inWillRossiter"GoodLuck"Songs
(Chicago:WillRossiter,1910);laterpublishedseparately
(Chicago,WillRossiter,1912)
"M'Aimez-Vous?(DoYouLoveMe?),"lyricsandmusicBobCole(NY:
Stern,1910)
NB:"Sweetness,ILoveYouBestofAll,"lyricsandmusicJ.Rosamond
Johnson(NY:Stern,1910),for"Cole&Johnson'sSamboGirlswith
EdgarConnor"
1910-1911
1910,October8:Colehashisfinalmanicbreakdownandiscommittedtoan
asylum;
(WashingtonBeeOctober15,1910,p.7;Anaconda(Montana)Standard,
October17,1910,p.7;IndianapolisFreeman,October22,1910,p.1;
TrentonEveningNews,October30,1910,p.22);
thefacilityisaprivatesanitoriuminWoodcliff-on-Hudson[presumably
justacrosstheHudsonRiverfromW.96thStreet](NYAge,October13,
1910,p.6)
LesterWalton,inhisNYAgeobit,saysthatColewasfirsttakento
Bellevue,thentoManhattanHospitalonWard'sIslandforalmostnine
months,thentoAmityvilleonJuly1,1911,andtoCatskillonJuly29.
ThevillageofCatskillisonthewestsideoftheHudsonriverbetween
PoughkeepsieandAlbany,northofKingstonandWoodstock.
1911,August2(Wednesday):tenmonthslater,Colecommitssuicidein
Catskill,NY,age43;
Wire-servicenewsitemoutofCatskill,NY,datedeitherAugust2or3:
"RobertCole,negrotheatricalstar,43yearsold,drownedhimselfina
shallowcreekhere,""hecamehereSaturday,"etc.(e.g.,ClevelandPlain
Dealer,August3,1911,p.1;Wilkes-BarreTimesLeader,August3,1911,
p.16);"RobertColeofNewYork,oneofthebestknowncoloredmenin
thetheatricalprofession,wasdrownedinashallowcreekatCatskilllast
Wednesday.ColewastheheadofCole&Johnson,ownersofthe"Sambo
Girls"show,andauthorofanumberofsongs,including"TheGirlWith
theDeamyEyes."Hewalkedintothecreekwithoutundressing,and,
afterswimmingforafewminutes,allowedhimselftosink.Twofriends
watchingsaytheysupposeditwasinplay,andColewasdeadbefore
theyrealizedthetruth"(Cooperstown,NY,TheGlimmerglass,n.d.
(likelyAugust9,1911),n.p.)
OBITS
ObitbySylvesterRussellinChicagoDefender,August12,1911,p.1and
IndianapolisFreeman,August12,1911,p.5
ObitbyLesterA.WaltoninNYAge,August10,1911,p.6
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ElaborateWikipediaentry.
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Johnson.WithaforewordbyThomasRiis,"J.RosamondJohnson:His
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Leonard,Milwaukee.
2013Riis,Thomas."Cole,Bob."InTheGroveDictionaryofAmericanMusic,
2nded.,editedbyCharlesHiroshiGarrett.NY:OxfordUniversityPress,
2013.
2011Riis,ThomasL."TheMusicofATriptoCoontown."InMusic,American
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