Songwriter. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he began his career performing on Broadway and on the vaudeville stage usually playing a number of different types of musical instruments. As a songwriter he wrote "Paper Doll" in 1915 which was latter recorded by The Mills Brothers and became a multi million dollar hit. In 1919, he wrote "Dardanella" a fox trot that became a big hit. After the success of "Dardanella", he toured the United States and abroad as a band leader and a master of ceremonies. Through the 1920s and 1930s, he was a studio director at radio station WHT Chicago, continued touring and was the proprietor of the Club Dardanella in Florida. He died of a fractured skull from fall in Hamilton, Ohio.
Songwriter. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he began his career performing on Broadway and on the vaudeville stage usually playing a number of different types of musical instruments. As a songwriter he wrote "Paper Doll" in 1915 which was latter recorded by The Mills Brothers and became a multi million dollar hit. In 1919, he wrote "Dardanella" a fox trot that became a big hit. After the success of "Dardanella", he toured the United States and abroad as a band leader and a master of ceremonies. Through the 1920s and 1930s, he was a studio director at radio station WHT Chicago, continued touring and was the proprietor of the Club Dardanella in Florida. He died of a fractured skull from fall in Hamilton, Ohio.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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