Tell Taylor
Encyclopedia
William "Tell" Taylor was a United States
songwriter
. By far his biggest hit was "Down by the Old Mill Stream
" from 1910, one of the most commercially successful Tin Pan Alley
publications of the era. The song was published by Forster Music Publishing Company of Chicago. Taylor was born in Vanlue
, Hancock County
, Ohio
. He performed on Vaudeville
and established a music publishing house in Chicago, Illinois. His other songs included "He Sleeps Beneath the Soil of France", "I Love You Best of All", "If Dreams Come True", "Little Old Home in the Valley", "Rock Me to Sleep in the Old Rocking Chair", "Some Day", and "When the Maple Leaves Were Falling". Taylor also wrote the Broadway
musical comedies Tiger Lillee and In New York Town.
and was buried in Van Horn Cemetery, Findlay, Ohio
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. By far his biggest hit was "Down by the Old Mill Stream
Down by the Old Mill Stream
"Down by the Old Mill Stream" is a song written by Tell Taylor. It was one of the most popular songs of the early 20th century.It was written in 1908 while Taylor was sitting on the banks of the Blanchard River in Northwest Ohio. Reportedly, Taylor's friends convinced him not to publish the song...
" from 1910, one of the most commercially successful 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...
publications of the era. The song was published by Forster Music Publishing Company of Chicago. Taylor was born in Vanlue
Vanlue, Ohio
Vanlue is a village in Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The population was 371 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Vanlue is located at ....
, Hancock County
Hancock County, Ohio
Hancock County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 74,782. Its county seat is Findlay and was named for John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. He performed on Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
and established a music publishing house in Chicago, Illinois. His other songs included "He Sleeps Beneath the Soil of France", "I Love You Best of All", "If Dreams Come True", "Little Old Home in the Valley", "Rock Me to Sleep in the Old Rocking Chair", "Some Day", and "When the Maple Leaves Were Falling". Taylor also wrote the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical comedies Tiger Lillee and In New York Town.
Marriage
Taylor was married to Buda Godman, the 19 year old daughter of Otho and Julia Godman of Chicago, on November 4, 1907. Buda (born Helen Julia Godman) had met Tell Taylor about two years previously when Tell Taylor was an invited dinner guest at St. Joseph's Convent and Academy in Adrian, Michigan. Tell Taylor had just started his career, and was appearing with a traveling stage company in Adrian. Buda and Tell had become good friends before dinner was over, but did not correspond afterward. Two years later, while attending the performance of "The Girl Question" at a theater in Chicago, Buda recognized Tell and sent a note to him backstage, and they became reacquainted. After spending much of their time together lunching and dining during the following week, they met once again for dinner at a downtown Chicago hotel, and sent for a judge to marry them in the hotel's parlor.Death
Taylor died in Chicago of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and was buried in Van Horn Cemetery, Findlay, Ohio
Findlay, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,967 people, 15,905 households, and 10,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.3 people per square mile . There were 17,152 housing units at an average density of 997.6 per square mile...
.