Editing Albert Von Tilzer

{{Short description|American songwriter}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image       = Albert Von Tilzer.jpg
| birth_name  = Albert Gumm
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1878|03|29|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|1956|10|01|1878|03|29|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles]], California, U.S.
}}

'''Albert Von Tilzer''' (born '''Albert Gumm''', March 29, 1878 – October 1, 1956) was an American songwriter, the younger brother of fellow songwriter [[Harry Von Tilzer]]. He wrote the music to many hit songs, including, most notably, "[[Take Me Out to the Ball Game]]".<ref name="Larkin"/>

==Early life==
He was born Albert Gumm, in [[Indianapolis, Indiana]], United States.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|pages=1221/2}}</ref> His parents, Sarah (Tilzer) and Jacob Gumbinsky, were Polish Jewish immigrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ragpiano.com/comps/hvntlzr.shtml|title=Harry Von Tilzer (Aaron Gumbinsky)|website=Ragpiano.com}}</ref>  As a young man, he worked briefly at his older brother [[Harry Von Tilzer]]'s publishing company,<ref name="Larkin"/> and Albert's earliest songs were published by Harry.<ref name="Jasen">{{cite book|last1=Jasen|first1=David A.|title=Tin Pan Alley: the Composers, the Songs, the Performers and Their Times|date=1988|publisher=Donald I. Fine, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=1556110995|pages=50–51}}</ref>

Harry had adopted his mother's maiden name, Tilzer, as his own. He sought to make it sound even classier by tacking on the German [[nobiliary particle]] "[[Von]]". So impressive seemed the transformation that eventually all his brothers (Albert, Will, and Jules) had changed their last name to match his.<ref name="Larkin"/>

==Career==
Within a few years Albert formed his own firm, The York Publishing Company.<ref name="Jasen"/>

By 1913, Albert had closed The York Publishing Company and joined the firm of his brother Will Von Tilzer.<ref name="Jasen"/>

Albert Von Tilzer was a top [[Tin Pan Alley]] tune writer, producing numerous [[popular music]] compositions from 1900 continuing through the early 1950s.<ref name="Larkin"/> He collaborated with many lyricists, including [[Jack Norworth]], Lew Brown, and Harry MacPherson. A number of his tunes were performed (and recorded) by [[jazz]] bands and continue to be played decades later.

<!-- maintain alphabetical order -->
His songs included "The Alcoholic Blues", "[[Au Revoir But Not Good Bye, Soldier Boy]]", "Chili Bean", "Dapper Dan", "[[Don't Take My Darling Boy Away]]", "[[Honey Boy (1907 song)|Honey Boy]]", "[[I May Be Gone for a Long, Long Time]]", "[[(I'll Be With You) In Apple Blossom Time]]", "I'm Glad I'm Married", "I'm the Lonesomest Gal in Town", "I Used to Love You But It's All Over Now", "The Moon Has His Eye On You", "My Cutey's Due at Two-to-Two Today", "My Little Girl", "[[Oh By Jingo!]]", "Oh How She Could Yacki-Hacki, Wicki-Wacki, Woo" (interpolated into the show ''[[Houp La!]]'', 1916, and recorded by Ida Adams), "Put on Your Slippers and Fill Up Your Pipe, You're Not Going Bye-Bye Tonight", "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey", "Roll Along, Prairie Moon", "Tell Me With Your Eyes", "Wait Till You Get Them Up in the Air, Boys", "[[You Can't Get Away from the Blarney]]", and hundreds of others.<ref name="Larkin"/>

"[[Take Me Out to the Ball Game]]" was listed as number 8 on the list of [[Songs of the Century]].

==Death==
He resided in [[Beverly Hills, California]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-bevhills-centennial-kickoff-20131013-story.html|title=Beverly Hills saddles up for centennial celebration|first=Martha|last=Groves|work=Los Angeles Times|date=October 13, 2013}}</ref> He died in [[Los Angeles]], [[California]].<ref name="Jasen"/>

==Work on Broadway==
{{listen
|filename    = MeekerBallGame.ogg
|title       = Take Me Out to the Ball Game
|description = "[[Take Me Out to the Ball Game]]", by [[Jack Norworth]] and Albert Von Tilzer, sung by [[Edward Meeker]] for [[Edison Records]] in September 1908.
|format      = [[Ogg]]}}

* ''The School Girl'' (1904) – musical; featured songwriter for "Lonesome"
* ''[[Ziegfeld Follies]] of 1908'' (1908) – [[revue]]; featured composer for "You Will Have to Sing an Irish Song", "Nothing Ever Troubles Me (Nothing Ever Ever Ever Hardly Ever Troubles Me)", and "Since Mother Was a Girl"
* ''The Happiest Night of His Life'' (1911) – play; composer
* ''Honey Girl'' (1920) – musical; composer
* ''The Gingham Girl'' (1922) – musical; composer
* ''Adrienne'' (1923) – musical; composer
* ''Three Doors'' (1925) – play; [[Theatrical producer|producer]]
* ''[[Burlesque (play)|Burlesque]]'' (1927) – play; featured songwriter
* ''[[Diamonds (musical)|Diamonds]]'' – featured songwriter

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040620001258/http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2004-3/thismonth/feature.asp Albert Von Tilzer on Parlorsongs.com]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040602043045/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibit_home_page.asp?exhibitId=284 Albert Von Tilzer on Songwriters Hall Of Fame]
* {{IBDB name|12533}}
* [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106100 Albert Von Tilzer recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]].
* [http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?query_type=author&query=Albert+Von+Tilzer&nq=1 Albert Von Tilzer cylinder recordings], from the [[UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive]] at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] Library.
* [http://dmr.bsu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/ShtMus&CISOPTR=317&REC=14 Sheet music for "Tell Me With Your Eyes], York Music Company, 1904.

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Von Tilzer, Albert}}
[[Category:1878 births]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Musicians from Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Jewish American songwriters]]
[[Category:International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Jews from California]]
[[Category:Jews from Indiana]]
[[Category:Musicians from Beverly Hills, California]]
[[Category:Songwriters from California]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Indiana]]