Editing Henry Creamer

{{short description|American popular song lyricist (1879–1930)}}
[[Image:SheetMusicCreamerAndLaytonGoodbyeAlexander1918.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Sheet music cover for a patriotic Creamer & Turner song, 1918]]
'''Henry Sterling Creamer''' (June 21, 1879 – October 14, 1930) was a popular song lyricist and theater producer. He was born in [[Richmond, Virginia]], and died in [[New York, New York|New York]]. He co-wrote many popular songs in the years from 1900 to 1929, often collaborating with [[Turner Layton]], with whom he also appeared in [[vaudeville]]. He was African American.

==Career==
Creamer was a singer, dancer, songwriter and stage producer/director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.naxos.com/person/Henry_Creamer/20374.htm |title=Henry Creamer- Bio, Albums, Pictures – Naxos Classical Music |website=Naxos.com |date=2011-06-25 |access-date=2015-12-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://jass.com/creamer.html |title=Henry Creamer & Turner Layton |website=Jass.com |date=1930-10-14 |access-date=2015-12-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525044012/http://www.jass.com/creamer.html |archive-date=2017-05-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He first performed on the vaudeville circuit in the U.S. and in Europe as a duo with pianist [[Turner Layton]], with whom he also co-wrote songs. Two of their most enduring songs, for which Creamer wrote the lyrics, are "[[After You've Gone (song)|After You've Gone]]" (1918), which was popularized by [[Sophie Tucker]], and "[[Way Down Yonder in New Orleans]]" (1922), which was included in the soundtrack for one of the dance numbers in the [[Fred Astaire]] / [[Ginger Rogers]] 1939 movie ''[[The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=11550 |title=Henry Creamer &#124; IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information |website=IBDb.com |access-date=2015-12-25}}</ref> Way Down Yonder in New Orleans became a hit again in 1959 when the rocked up recording by Freddy Cannon sold a million copies. <ref>Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 111. {{ISBN|0-214-20512-6}}.</ref>

Success on Broadway arrived in 1922 when Creamer’s Creole Production Company produced the show ''Strut Miss Lizzie'', and in 1923 to seal their success, [[Bessie Smith]] recorded their song "Whoa, Tillie, Take Your Time". Creamer's other Broadway stage scores include ''Three Showers''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0187114/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm|title=Henry Creamer : Biography|website=IMDb.com|access-date=2015-12-25}}</ref> Creamer and Layton disbanded as a duo in 1924, when Layton relocated to Europe. He moved on to collaborate with other notable composers including [[J. C. Johnson|J.C. Johnson]], Jimmy Johnson, and vaudevillian Bert Williams.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/henry-creamer-mn0000672604/biography|title=Henry Creamer {{!}} Biography & History {{!}} AllMusic|website=AllMusic|access-date=2017-06-19}}</ref> In 1924, Creamer joined [[ASCAP]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0187114/bio|title=Henry Creamer|website=IMDb|access-date=2017-06-19}}</ref>

In the fall of 1926, Creamer was commissioned to direct the [[Cotton Club]] revue, ''The Creole Cocktail''. The show featured Lottie Gee, Loncia Williams. Henry and LaPearl, Louie Parker, White and Sherman, Eddie Burke, Ruby Mason and Albertine Pickens.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/40138287/ |title=The Pittsburgh Courier from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Page 10 |website=Newspapers.com |date=1926-11-20 |access-date=2015-12-25}}</ref>

Also in 1926, Creamer and James P. Johnson wrote "Alabama Stomp". In 1930, they achieved another hit with "[[If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)|If I Could Be with You]]", which was recorded by [[Ruth Etting]]. The song also became the theme song for [[McKinney's Cotton Pickers]] and was also a hit for [[Louis Armstrong]] (Okeh 41448).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.redhotjazz.com/sebastian.html |title=Louis Armstrong and his Sebastian New Cotton Club Orchestra |website=Redhotjazz.com |access-date=2015-12-25}}</ref>

Creamer was a co-founder with [[James Reese Europe]] of the [[Clef Club]], an important early organization for [[African-American]] musicians and entertainers in [[New York City]].<ref name=":0" />

He died on October 14, 1930, at [[Mount Sinai Hospital (Manhattan)]] and was buried in [[Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)]].<ref>
{{cite news |title=Theatrical Colony Mourns Death of Three Members |url=http://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/New%20York%20NY%20Age/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201929-1930%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Age%201929-1930%20%20Grayscale%20-%200921.pdf |work=[[The New York Age]] |page=6 |date=1930-10-25 |access-date=2017-08-11}}
</ref>

==Some notable works==
* "Alabama Stomp" w. Henry Creamer m. [[James P. Johnson]] (1926)
* "[[If I Could Be with You (One Hour Tonight)]]" w. Henry Creamer  m. [[James P. Johnson]] (1926)
* "'[[Way Down Yonder In New Orleans]]" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton (1922)
* "[[Dear Old Southland]]" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton (1921) (sung to basically the same tune as "[[Deep River (song)|Deep River]]")
* "Strut Miss Lizzie" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton (1921)
* "[[After You've Gone (song)|After You've Gone]]" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton  (1918)
* "Ev'rybody's Crazy 'bout the Doggone Blues, But I'm Happy" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton (1918)
* "[[Goodbye Alexander, Goodbye Honey Boy]]" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton (1918)
* "My bluebird was caught in the rain" w. Henry Creamer  m.  Max Rich (1930) 
* "The Bombo-Shay" by Henry Creamer (1917)
* "Sweet Emalina My Gal" w. Henry Creamer m. Turner Layton (1917)
* "That's A Plenty" w. Henry Creamer m. [[Bert A. Williams]] (1909)
* "Clementine (From New Orleans)" w. Henry Creamer m. [[Harry Warren]] (1927)
* "You Can't Shush Katie" (The Gabbiest Gal in Town) w. Henry Creamer m. [[Harry Warren]] (1925)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030506160759/http://www.aaregistry.com/african_american_history/1675/An_excellent_lyricist_Henry_Creamer Henry Creamer, Excellent Lyricist]
* [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106675 Henry Creamer recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]].
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Creamer, Henry}}
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1930 deaths]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:Musicians from Richmond, Virginia]]
[[Category:Songwriters from Virginia]]
[[Category:Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York)]]