Editing Andy Razaf

{{Short description|American poet, composer and lyricist (1895–1973)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name        = Andy Razaf
| image       = Andy Razaf, 1954.jpg
| image_size  =
| caption     =Razaf in 1954
| birth_name  = Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo
| alias       =
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1895|12|16|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| origin      =
| death_date  = {{death date and age|1973|2|3|1895|12|16}}
| death_place = [[North Hollywood, California]], U.S.
| occupation  = Poet, composer, and lyricist
}}

'''Andy Razaf''' (born '''Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo'''; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973)<ref name="LarkinGE">{{cite book|title=[[Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]|editor=[[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]|publisher=[[Guinness Publishing]]|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|pages=2050/1}}</ref> was an American poet, composer, and lyricist of such well-known songs as "[[Ain't Misbehavin' (song)|Ain't Misbehavin']]" and "[[Honeysuckle Rose (song)|Honeysuckle Rose]]".

==Biography==
Razaf was born in 1895 in [[Washington, D.C.]], United States.<ref name="LarkinGE"/> His birth name was Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo. He was the son of Henri Razafinkarefo, nephew of Queen [[Ranavalona III]] of the [[Merina Kingdom|Imerina]] kingdom in Madagascar, and Jennie Razafinkarefo (née Waller), daughter of [[John L. Waller]], the first African American consul to [[Merina Kingdom|Imerina]].<ref name="Past">{{Cite web|url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/razaf-andy-1895-1973/|title=Andy Razaf (1895-1973)|website=Blackpast.org|first=Olga|last=Bourlin|date=November 29, 2015|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref> The [[Second Madagascar expedition|French invasion of Madagascar]] (1894-95) left Henri dead, and forced pregnant 15-year-old Jennie to escape to the U.S..<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JUjFNpgoZD0C&dq=madagascar+Andy+razaf&pg=PA71|title=Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs|first=William|last=Zinsser|page=71/2|date=October 6, 2006|publisher=David R. Godine Publisher|isbn=9781567923254|access-date=October 6, 2021|via=Google Books}}</ref> Razaf was raised in [[Harlem]], [[Manhattan]].

At age 16, Razaf quit school and took a job as an elevator operator in a [[Tin Pan Alley]] office building. A year later he penned his first song text, embarking on his career as a lyricist. During this time he spent many nights in the [[Greyhound Lines]] bus station in [[Times Square]], and picked up his mail at the [[Embassy Five Theatre|Gaiety Theatre office building]], which was considered the black Tin Pan Alley.<ref name="broadway">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rqi3d1925IcC&q=City+Investing+Five+Broadway+Theatres&pg=PA180|title=Broadway: An Encyclopedia|author=Ken Bloom|publisher=Routledge|edition=Second|date=November 11, 2003|isbn=0-415-93704-3}}</ref>

Some of Razaf's early poems were published in 1917–18 in the [[Hubert Harrison]]-edited ''Voice'', the first newspaper of the "[[Harlem Renaissance|New Negro Movement]]". Razaf collaborated with composers [[Eubie Blake]], [[Don Redman]], [[James P. Johnson]], [[Harry Brooks (composer)|Harry Brooks]], and [[Fats Waller]].<ref name="LarkinGE"/> Among the best-known Razaf-Waller collaborations are "[[Ain't Misbehavin' (song)|Ain't Misbehavin']]", "[[Honeysuckle Rose (song)|Honeysuckle Rose]]", "The Joint Is Jumpin'", "Willow Tree", "[[Keepin' Out of Mischief Now]]" and "[[(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue]]".<ref name="LarkinGE"/> His music was played by other [[Tin Pan Alley]] musicians, as well as [[Benny Goodman]], [[Eubie Blake]], [[Cab Calloway]] and many others. He was a contributor and editor of the [[Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League]]'s ''[[Negro World]]'' newspaper.<ref name="Past"/>

Razaf wrote a number of raunchy "character" blues-type songs for many 1920s female blues singers. He also made a number of records as a vocalist (both as solo and as vocalist for jazz groups, including a handful by James P. Johnson and [[Fletcher Henderson]]).

He was married to [[Jean Blackwell Hutson]] from 1939 to 1947.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Smith|first=Dinitia|date=1998-02-07|title=Jean Hutson, Schomburg Chief, Dies at 83 (Published 1998)|language=en-US|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/07/arts/jean-hutson-schomburg-chief-dies-at-83.html|access-date=2021-02-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In 1972, Razaf was recognized by his Tin Pan Alley peers when he was inducted in the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]].<ref name="SHOF">{{cite web|url=http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibit_home_page.asp?exhibitId=305|title=Songwriters Hall of Fame website|website=Songwritershalloffame.org|access-date=5 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402040910/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibit_home_page.asp?exhibitId=305|archive-date=April 2, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Death===
Razaf died in [[North Hollywood, California]] in February 1973 from [[renal failure]], aged 77.<ref name="Past"/>

==Songs==
The Songwriters Hall of Fame entry for Andy Razaf lists 215 compositions, giving co-writers and publishers.<ref name="SHOF" /> He had many unpublished songs; Singer's biography lists more than 800, published and unpublished (but without giving lyrics). Some notable lyrics include:
* "Baltimo", which he wrote at age 17, was sung by members of ''The Passing Show of 1913'' at the [[Winter Garden Theatre]], New York.
* "Mound Bayou" was named for [[Mound Bayou]], an independent Black community in [[Mississippi]]. The original song was sung by [[Maxine Sullivan]], and was on an album dedicated to his work, ''A Tribute to Andy Razaf''.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxfzgjRUIPA|title=Maxine Sullivan : Mound Bayou|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=5 September 2014}}</ref>
* "[[Ain't Misbehavin' (song)|Ain't Misbehavin']]"
* "[[Black and Blue (Fats Waller song)|Black and Blue]]"
* "[[Christopher Columbus (jazz song)|Christopher Columbus]]" with [[Chu Berry|Leon Berry]] (1936)
* "I'll Keep Sittin' on It (If I Can't Sell It)" with Alex Hill (1936)
* "Garvey! Hats Off to Garvey"
* "[[Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You]]" with [[Don Redman]] (1929)
* "[[Honeysuckle Rose (song)|Honeysuckle Rose]]"
* "[[In the Mood]]"
* "[[A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid]]"
* "The Joint Is Jumpin'"
* "[[Keepin' Out of Mischief Now]]"
* "Louisiana"
* "[[Stompin' at the Savoy]]"
* "[[That's What I Like About the South]]"
* "UNIA"

==Recordings==
Although Razaf's songs are found on hundreds of recordings, there are only two albums devoted exclusively to his compositions:
* [[Maxine Sullivan]], ''A Tribute to Andy Razaf'', 1956, produced by [[Leonard Feather]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-tribute-to-andy-razaf-mw0000674600|title=A Tribute to Andy Razaf - Maxine Sullivan & Her All-Stars &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref> re-issued in 2006 as ''My Memories of You'' with two additional non-Razaf tracks.
* [[Bobby Short]], ''Guess Who's in Town: Bobby Short Performs the Songs of Andy Razaf'', 1987,<ref name="Past"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/guess-whos-in-town-bobby-short-performs-the-songs-of-andy-razaf-mw0000197951|title=Guess Who's in Town: Bobby Short Performs the Songs of Andy Razaf - Bobby Short &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=October 6, 2021}}</ref> re-released in 2001 in tandem with ''Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter''.

==Poems==
* ''Wired, Hired, Fired'', an expression of grief and sorrow that color bars one fitted to position (that is, one otherwise qualified for, or well suited to the job, is barred on the basis of race).
* ''Jack Johnson'', touching on defeat with honor.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* ''Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf'' by Barry Singer, Foreword by Bobby Short, {{ISBN|0-02-872395-3}}
* ''Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs'; by William Zinsser, David R. Godine Publisher, 2006, {{ISBN|1-56792-325-9}}
* ''The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America's Great Lyricists'' by Philip Furia, {{ISBN|0-19-507473-4}}
* ''Who's Who of the Colored Race, Memento Edition Half-Century Anniversary of Negro Freedom in U.S.'', reprinted by Gale Research Company, Book Tower Detroit, 1976.

==External links==
* {{Find a Grave|5167}}
*[https://archive.org/details/AndyRazafFBIFile FBI file on Andy Razaf] at the [[Internet Archive]]
*[https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/105535 Andy Razaf recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]].

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Razaf, Andy}}
[[Category:1895 births]]
[[Category:1973 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American musicians]]
[[Category:American people of Malagasy descent]]
[[Category:Burials at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in California]]
[[Category:Musicians from Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Musicians from New York City]]
[[Category:People from Harlem]]
[[Category:Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League members]]
[[Category:20th-century American musicians]]