Charles K. Harris
Encyclopedia
Charles Kassel Harris was a well regarded American songwriter of popular music
. During his long career, he advanced the relatively new genre, publishing more than 300 songs, often deemed by admirers as the "king of the tear jerkers". He is one of the early pioneers of Tin Pan Alley
.
, New York
into a family of ten children. His father was a fur trader and moved the family to Saginaw, Michigan
and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, where he grew up. From his early fascination with the banjo
, he wrote his first song "Since Maggie Learned To Skate" for the play The Skating Rink
by Nat Goodwin in 1885.
In 1891, Harris wrote "After the Ball
", a song about an old man recounting the story of his long-lost love to his niece. He caught the attention of John Philip Sousa
, who played the tune at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago
, boosting sales in excess of five million copies. His next hit "Break The News To Mother", about a dying soldier, coincided with the Spanish American War in 1897 and furthered his popularity.
Later, Harris began writing songs for musicals, working with the legendary Oscar Hammerstein
. His plays The Scarlet Sisters and What's The Matter With Julius had moderate success. He died in New York City
in 1930.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
. During his long career, he advanced the relatively new genre, publishing more than 300 songs, often deemed by admirers as the "king of the tear jerkers". He is one of the early pioneers of Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
.
Biography
Charles was born in PoughkeepsiePoughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
into a family of ten children. His father was a fur trader and moved the family to Saginaw, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, where he grew up. From his early fascination with the banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, he wrote his first song "Since Maggie Learned To Skate" for the play The Skating Rink
The Skating Rink
The Skating Rink is a novel by the Chilean author Roberto Bolaño. A translation from the Spanish by Chris Andrews was published by New Directions in August, 2009.-Summary:...
by Nat Goodwin in 1885.
In 1891, Harris wrote "After the Ball
After the Ball (song)
After the Ball is a popular song written in 1891 by Charles K. Harris. The song is a classic waltz in 3/4 time. In the song, an older man tells his niece why he has never married. He saw his sweetheart kissing another man at a ball, and he refused to listen to her explanation...
", a song about an old man recounting the story of his long-lost love to his niece. He caught the attention of John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa
John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known particularly for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as "The March King" or the "American March King" due to his British counterpart Kenneth J....
, who played the tune at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, boosting sales in excess of five million copies. His next hit "Break The News To Mother", about a dying soldier, coincided with the Spanish American War in 1897 and furthered his popularity.
Later, Harris began writing songs for musicals, working with the legendary Oscar Hammerstein
Oscar Hammerstein I
Oscar Hammerstein I was a businessman, theater impresario and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled opera's popularity in America...
. His plays The Scarlet Sisters and What's The Matter With Julius had moderate success. He died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1930.
External links
- Rather Comprehensive Biography
- http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/write-pop-song/how-write-pop-song.html online book on songwriting by Charles K. Harris