Will D. Cobb

William Denight Cobb (July 5, 1876 – January 20, 1930) was an American lyricist and composer. He and a partner, Ren Shields, produced several popular musicals and musical comedies in the early 20th century.Template:Citation needed Cobb also had a long-run collaboration with Gus Edwards.<ref name="ibdb" />

File:Will D. Cobb Cover.jpg

Will D. Cobb – 1906

Personal life

Cobb was born July 5, 1876, in Philadelphia,<ref name="ibdb" /> and grew up there, but also lived several years in New York City. Cobb graduated 1893 from Girard College in Philadelphia.<ref name=Gene>Template:Cite web</ref> Before becoming a songwriter, he worked as a salesman in a department store.Template:Citation needed Cobb died January 20, 1930, in Manhattan, New York City, and was buried in Arlington Cemetery, Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.<ref name=Gene />

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 (vaudeville).Template:Citation needed

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1897, Cobb wrote the lyrics and Paul Barnes<ref name="Paul-Barnes-bio" group=lower-alpha /> 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.<ref name=WWI>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Productions

Broadway

• Tintypes — Musical revue featuring songs by Will D. Cobb – October 23, 1980 – January 11, 1981<ref name="ibdb" />
• The French Doll — Musical with lyrics by Will D. Cobb – February 20, 1922 – June 3, 1922<ref name="ibdb" />
• Ziegfeld Follies of 1913 — Musical revue with additional music by Will D. Cobb – June 16, 1913 – September 6, 1913<ref name="ibdb" />
• Ziegfeld Follies of 1910 — Musical revue featuring songs by Will D. Cobb – June 20, 1910 – September 3, 1910<ref name="ibdb" />
• The Boys and Betty — Musical featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb – November 2, 1908 – February 6, 1909<ref name=ibdb />
• School Days — musical, lyrics for Sunbonnet Sue by Will D. Cobb – September 14, 1908 – October 10, 1908<ref name="ibdb" />
• The-Merry-Go-Round — musical comedy, lyrics to The Shop Window Girls by Will D. Cobb – April 25, 1908 – July 18, 1908<ref name="ibdb" />
• A Parisian Model – musical comedy with interpolated songs by Will D. Cobb – January 6, 1908 – January 25, 1908<ref name="ibdb" />
• His Honor the Mayor — musical comedy revival with music by Cobb and Shields – November 25, 1907 – December 7, 1907<ref name="ibdb" />
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• The Gay White Way — musical revue featuring Dixie Dan by Will D. Cobb – October 7, 1907 – January 4, 1908<ref name="ibdb" />
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• Ziegfeld Follies of 1907 — musical revue featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb – July 8, 1907 – November 10, 1907<ref name="ibdb" />
• His Honor the Mayor — musical comedy with music by Cobb and Shields – June 3, 1907 – June 15, 1907<ref name="ibdb" />
• A Parisian Model — musical with additional numbers by Mr. Cobb – November 27, 1906 – June 29, 1907<ref name="ibdb" />
• About Town – musical revue, with additional lyrics by Will D. Cobb – November 15, 1906 – December 29, 1906<ref name="ibdb" />
• His Honor the Mayor — musical with Music by Cobb and Shields – September 17, 1906 – September 29, 1906<ref name="ibdb" />
• About Town — musical revue with additional numbers by Will D. Cobb – August 30, 1906 – November 10, 1906<ref name="ibdb" />
• His Honor the Mayor – musical comedy with additional lyrics by Cobb and Shields – May 28, 1906 – August 25, 1906<ref name="ibdb" />
• Woodland — musical, featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb – November 21, 1904 – Aug 1905<ref name="ibdb" />
• Mrs. Black Is Back musical, featuring songs with lyrics by Will D. Cobb — November 7, 1904 – April 1, 1905<ref name="ibdb" />
• The Wizard of Oz — songs with Gus Edwards — March 21, 1904 – November 25, 1905<ref name="ibdb" />
• The Medal and the Maid — musical comedy – lyrics for "In Zanzibar" by Will D. Cobb – January 11, 1904 – Mar 1904<ref name="ibdb" />
• Mr. Bluebeard – musical, with additional numbers by Will D. Cobb – January 21, 1903 – May 16, 1903<ref name="ibdb" />
• The Wizard of Oz — songs with Gus Edwards — January 20, 1903 – October 3, 1903<ref name="ibdb" />
• The Supper Club — musical comedy, music & lyrics by Will D. Cobb – December 23, 1901 – January 25, 1902<ref name="ibdb" />
• The Strollers — musical comedy, additional lyrics by Will D. Cobb – June 24, 1901 – August 31, 1901<ref name="ibdb" />

Songs, as lyricist

Template:Div col The Morse Music Company

• "Goodbye, Dolly Gray" (1897), Paul Barnes<ref name="Paul-Barnes-bio" group=lower-alpha /> (music)<ref name=WWI /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" />

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)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• "Waltz Me Around Again, Willie" (1906), Ren Shields (music)

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

• "If a Table at Rector's Could Talk" (1913), Raymond Hubbell (music)

M. Witmark & Sons

• "Good Bye and Luck Be with You Laddie Boy" (1917), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":0" />
• "Welcome Home, Laddie Boy, Welcome Home" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":1" />
• "On a Lightless Night with You" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":1">Template:Cite book</ref>
• "Private Mike McGee" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":1" />

The Song Review Company

• "Au Revoir" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref>
• "He's Long and Lean and Lanky" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":0" />
• "That Grand Old Gentleman (Uncle Sam)" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":1" />
• "You're Your Mamma's Little Daddy Now" (1918), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":1" />

Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.

• "Keep on A-Going" (1904), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":0" />
• "The Tale of a Cassowary" (1904), Gus Edwards (music)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• "Johnny I'll Take You" (1904), Gus Edwards (music) Template:OCLC
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• "Sunbonnet Sue" (1908), Gus Edwards (music)

Jos. W. Stern & Co.

• "Mothers of Men" (1917), Gus Edwards (music)<ref name=":0" />

Delmar Music

• "School Days (When We Were A Couple of Kids)" (1907), Gus Edwards (music)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other publishers

• "I Love Only One Girl in the Wide, Wide World" (1903), Gus Edwards (music)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Wikisource author-inline
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• Will D. Cobb recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.