Andy Razaf
| Andy Razaf | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo |
| Born | December 16, 1895 |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | February 3, 1973 (aged 77) |
| Occupations | Poet, composer, and lyricist |
Andy Razaf (December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose".
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[edit] Biography
Razaf was born in Washington, D.C. His birth name was Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo. He was the son of Henri Razafinkarefo, nephew of Queen Ranavalona III of Imerina, and Jennie (Waller) Razafinkarefo, the daughter of John L. Waller, the first African American consul to Imerina. The French invasion of Madagascar left his father dead, and forced his pregnant 15-year-old mother to escape to the United States, where he was born in 1895.[1]
He was raised in Harlem, and at the age of 16 he quit school and took a job as an elevator operator at 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 would spend many nights in the Greyhound bus station in Times Square and would pick up his mail at the Gaiety Theatre office building which was considered the black Tin Pan Alley[2]
Some of Razaf's early poems were published in 1917-18 in the Hubert Harrison-edited Voice, the first newspaper of the "New Negro Movement". Razaf collaborated with composers Eubie Blake, Don Redman, James P. Johnson, Harry Brooks, and Fats Waller. Among the best-known Razaf-Waller collaborations are Ain't Misbehavin', Honeysuckle Rose, The Joint Is Jumpin', Willow Tree, Keepin' Out of Mischief Now and (What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue. 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.[citation needed]
In 1972, Razaf was recognized by his Tin Pan Alley peers in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.[3]
[edit] Death
Razaf died in North Hollywood, California from cancer, aged 77.
[edit] Songs
The Songwriters Hall of Fame entry on Andy Razaf lists 215 compositions, giving co-writers and publishers [1]. He had many unpublished songs; Singer's biography lists more than 800, published and unpublished (but without giving lyrics). Some notable lyrics include:
- "Baltimo"', composed at the age of 17, was sung by members of The Passing Show of 1913 at Winter Garden, New York.
- "Ain't Misbehavin'"
- "Black and Blue"
- "Garvey! Hats Off to Garvey"
- "Honeysuckle Rose"
- "In the Mood"
- "The Joint Is Jumpin"'
- "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now"
- "Louisiana"
- "Stompin' at the Savoy"
- "That's what I like about the South"
- "U.N.I.A."
[edit] 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, re-issued in 2006 as My Memories of You with two additional non-Razaf tracks.
- Bobby Short, Guess Who's in Town, 1987, re-released in 2001 in tandem with Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter
[edit] Poems
- Wired, Hired, Fired, an expression of grief and sorrow that color bars one fitted to position.[clarification needed - What does "fitted to position" mean?]
- Jack Johnson, touching on defeat with honor
[edit] References
[edit] 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 1567923259
- 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.
