Billy Mayerl
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Billy Joseph Mayerl (May 31, 1902- March 25, 1959), was an English pianist and composer who built a career in music hall and musical theatre and became an acknowledged master of light music. Best known for his syncopated novelty piano solos, he wrote over 300 piano pieces, many of which were named after flowers and trees, including his best known composition, Marigold (1927).
He also composed works for piano and orchestra, often in suites with evocative names such as the 'Aquarium Suite' (1937), comprising "Willow Moss", "Moorish Idol", "Fantail", and "Whirligig".
[edit] Early life
Mayerl was born into a musical family on London's Tottenham Court Road, near the West End theatre district. He began piano lessons at an early age and by the age of 7 he was studying at the Trinity College of Music. In his teens, he supplemented these lessons by accompanying silent movies (even, according to one source, selling ice cream during intermissions) and playing at dances.
Attracted to American popular music, Mayerl joined a Southampton hotel band in 1921. He recorded approximately 37 piano rolls for the "Echo" label in London of various popular tunes of the early 20s. Subsequently he joined the Savoy Havana Band in London, which led to him becoming a celebrity. In the late 20s he recorded in London one single title (Eskimo Shivers) on the "Duo-Art" player piano system for the Aeolian Company.
[edit] Fame
In 1926, he left the Savoy and opened his 'School of Syncopation' which specialised in teaching modern music techniques such as ragtime and stride piano. This in turn, led to the long running correspondence course on 'How to play like Billy Mayerl'. It was during this period that he wrote his most famous solo 'Marigold'. By the late 30's his correspondence school is said to have over 100 staff and 30,000 students. It finally closed in 1957.
Mayerl appeared as the soloist in the London premiere of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. In December 1926, he appeared with Gwen Farrar (1899-1944) in a short film -- made in the Lee DeForest Phonofilm sound-on-film process -- in which they sang Mayerl's song "I've Got a Sweetie on the Radio". His song "Miss Up-to-Date" was sung and played by Cyril Ritchard in Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail (1929).
On Tuesday 1 October 1929, Billy Mayerl's orchestra performed at the opening of The Locarno Dance Hall in Streatham.
In the 1930s Mayerl composed several works for the musical theatre include Sporting Love, opening at the Gaiety Theatre, London in 1934, Twenty to One (1935), and Over She Goes (1936). In 1938, famed jazz pianist Marian McPartland joined his group Mayerl's Claviers under the name Marian Page.
Mayerl died in 1959 from a heart attack.
