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Ford Dabney | |
---|---|
![]() Sheet music cover Photo of Bert Williams with drawing of Japanese lanterns Jerome H. Remick & Co., publisher (1919) | |
Born | Ford Thompson Dabney March 15, 1883 |
Died | June 6, 1958 | (aged 75)
Alma mater | Washington, D.C. M Street High School (1900–1902) |
Spouse(s) | Martha J. Davis (maiden; 1877–1961), married March 14, 1912, Washington, D.C. – she was the widow of boxer Joe Gans |
Parent | John Wesley Dabney (1851–1924) |
Musical career | |
Occupation(s) | Theater owner (film house and vaudeville), theater orchestra leader, bandleader, ragtime pianist, composer, arranger |
Years active | 1903–1944 |
Labels | Paramount, Aeolian Vocalion, Belvedere, Puritan |
Ford Thompson Dabney (March 15, 1883, Washington, D.C. - June 21, 1958, Manhattan) was an American ragtime pianist, composer, songwriter, and an acclaimed director of bands and orchestras for musical theater, revues, vaudeville, and early recordings; and, for about 2 years in Washington, from 1910 to 1912, he was a pioneering film and vaudeville theater entrepreneur. Dabney is best known as composer and lyricist of the 1910 song "Shine,"[1] a jazz standard that, as of 2020, in the jazz genre, has been recorded 646 times, according to the Jazz Discography Online.[2] Dabney and one of his chief collaborators, James Reese Europe (1880–1919), were transitional figures in the prehistory of jazz. Their 1914 composition, "Castle Walk" – recorded in 1914 by Europe's Society Orchestra (Victor 17553-A, Matrix: B-14434) – is one of earliest recordings of jazz.[3][4][5]
Growing up
[edit]Ford Dabney was born to John Wesley (J.W.) Dabney (1851–1924),[A] a musician and celebrated barber, who, according to the Washington Times in 1903, had cut hair for President McKinley and President Theodore Roosevelt.[B][C] J.W. Dabney was chronicled by the press as an innovative and successful tonsorial artist. Ford's step-mother, John's second wife – Ford step-mother – Gertrude V. Dabney (née Gertrude V. Adams; born 1876) sold J.W. Dabney's tonic products.
One month after his divorce, James, at age forty-eight, on December 18, 1894, in Washington, remarried 22-year-old Maryland-born Ruby Adams (maiden; 1872–1901).[D] – when Ford was 12.
Gertrude's sister, Ruby Dabney (née Ruby Adams; 1872–1901) was the second wife of one of Ford's uncles, John H. Dabney (1846–1923).
Edward Dabney, Ford's cousin
[edit]One of Ford's uncles, James H. Dabney (1846–1923), married Lottie Ross May 9, 1878, in Washington, D.C. Their son, James Edward ("Eddie") Dabney, was born August 25, 1878, in Washington, D.C. – three months after they were married.
James and Lottie separated June 15, 1882[E] They finally divorced November 9, 1994, when Eddie was 16.[F] Eddie Dabney died of tuberculous October 21, 1895 – age 17 – at his mother's residence in New York City.[G]
James, on December 12, 1894, in Washington, D.C., remarried Bethesda-born Ruby H. Adams (1882–1901), who learned the undertaking business and even became nationally known, namely for handling the embalming of slave-born-turned-U.S. Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce (1841–1898). Ruby was the sister of John W. Dabney's second wife, Gertrude V. Adams.
- James H. Dabney had three funeral parlors in 1898:
- One in Alexandria
- One in Georgetown
- One on 3rd Street, between M & L, N.W.
High school
[edit]- Armstrong Manual Training School in Washington
- 1901: Colored High School (aka M Street High School), grades nine thru eleven, Robert Heberton Terrell, Principal. On June 22, 1901, Dabney was promoted from 1st to 2nd year (for the fall of 1901).[H] This was the same school that James Reese Europe graduated from in 1902.
Choruses during high school
[edit]and sang in the church choir at St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Chapel, a mission of St. John's Parish, 23rd Street, between G and H, Northwest – the current campus of George Washington University.
He studied music privately first with his father, then with his uncle Wendell Phillips Dabney (1865-1952), then
- Both W.P. Phillips and Blanche Bruce attended Oberlin College.
- Charles Donch (né Charles Bernard Donch; 1858–1948),
- William Waldecker (1857–1931), an organist for several churches in Washington, and
- Samuel Fabian (né Samuel Monroe Fabian; 1859–1921), a concert pianist.[B][I][6] At the age of 18 he made his first appearance as soloist at the Library of Congress. From the end of 1902 he continued his composition training in New York.
Haiti
[edit]For about a year, beginning 1902, Dabney went to New York to study at a music conservatory. While there, he reportedly filled many drawing room engagements for prominent society. During that time, he won sponsorship of the Haitian consul to France, Joseph Jefford, who also was a special Haitian envoy to the United States.[B] In the first week of January 1904, Dabney, then an accomplished pianist, sailed to Haiti to accept a four-month post as pianist to the president, Pierre Nord Alexis (1820–1910), for $4,000 (equivalent to $135,644 in 2023). His itinerary included a trip to France to play for President Émile Loubet, then to Germany.[J] His appointment in Haiti was extended through 1907.[7]
Travelling manifests
[edit]- Ford Thompson Dabney, pianist, arrived in New York May 18, 1906, aboard the Prince Friedrich Wilhelm, having departed from Saint-Marc.
- "Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820–1897;" Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. NARA, Washington, D.C. (re: "Ford Thompson Dabney"); 1906; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 0712; Line: 9; Page Number: 102
Post Haiti
[edit]Upon his return to the United States, he toured with Vaudeville artists.
Career
[edit]Dabney, as piano accompanist, toured in 1902 with concert violinist Joseph Douglass (1871–1935) – son of Charles Remond Douglass and grandson of Fredrick Douglass.
Around 1914, during the rise of Vernon and Irene Castle, Dabney co-composed with James Reese Europe several songs.[8]
Dabney and James Reese Europe moved to New York around 1902.[9]
Ford Dabney's Theater, Washington, D.C.
[edit]Dabney briefly owned and operated a theater from 1910 to 1912 – Ford Dabney's Theater, at the northeast corner of 9th and U Streets, N.W. (2001 9th Street, N.W.), around the corner from the current African American Civil War Memorial Museum. George W. Hamilton (1871–1910) was general manager – "Refined vaudeville and motion pictures." Ushers were selected from Howard University, the M Street High School, and the Armstrong Manuel Training School. O.L. Garnett, then a student at Howard, was the house electrician. The manager, Hamilton, died December 10, 1910, at Freedmen's Hospital.[K][L]
In October 1911, Dabney purchased the Chelsea Theatre at 1913 M Street, N.W. (between 19th and 20th Streets, N.W.), then managed by Miss Gertrude Ryan (box office) and Messrs. Louis Mitchell and J. West (house managers).[M] Just a year earlier, around August 1910, S.L. Jones and L. Kohler Chambers (né Luddington Kohler Chambers; 1874–1913) acquired it – "formerly owned and managed by "white people."[K]
The Dabney's Theater changed hands around December 1, 1911, and James H. Hudnell became sole manager,[alpha-upper 1] keeping the name, "Dabney's Theater, but initially operating it as a film theater. In January 1912, Hudnell re-introduced vaudeville.
Dabney's Theater received competition when the Hiawatha Theater, at 2006-2008 11th Street, N.W., opened in October 1910 with vaudeville productions and ran until May 1922.[10]
Acts under Manager Hamilton
[edit]- Princess Rajah (née Rose Ferran; 1881–1952), the "German African song-bird" or "German African comedienne," (possible this person and this person) was a vocalist who sang in German, French, and English; she was also a dancer (September 1910). Earlier, she had created a sensation while performing on tour with the Buffalo Bill Show
- James C. Moore, vocalist and comedian (September 1910)
- Lizzie Taylor, mezzo-soprano and dancer (September 1910)
Dabney Theater (continued)
[edit]- James H. Hudnell, 905 French Street, NW
From December 1911 through at least March 1912, the manager was James H. Hudnell.[10]
- The Hudnell (hotel), Washington, D.C., Dallas H. Washington and James Hudnell, proprietors, in April 1909, took over what had been the Burdett Restaurant, 107 6th Street, NW, opposite the Pennsylvania Railroad depot, which had 27 rooms.
- The Red Moon on M Street, in 1911.
In 1920, Dabney was released by the Broadway theater directors. His success declined in the mid-1920s because he had little interest in opening up to the current Jazz. In the 1930s and 40s he continued to work on the New York music scene, including as a consultant for the 1943 film Stormy Weather.
Dabney's Syncopated Orchestra
[edit]In 1917, Dabney recorded some jazz-oriented titles (such as "At the Darkdown Strutter's Ball" Aeolian Vocalion 1204; recorded August 1917) with his band, Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestra, in which the singer Arthur Fields also participated; from 1919 to 1922 further recordings were made for Vocalion and Paramount Records.[11][2] The orchestra performed regularly on the roof of the New Amsterdam Theater for Ziegfeld's Midnight Follies. In the summers, his orchestra performed at the Palais Royale in Atlantic City. Dabney's recording of "Darktown Strutters Ball" is the earliest known example of an all-black band accompanying a white singer.
Selected members of Dabny's Orchestra
[edit]- 1917
- Emporia-born Crickett Smith (1881–1947), trumpet
- Detroit-born Edgar Campbell (né Edgar O. Campbell; born 1889), clarinet
- Louisville-born Alonzo Williams (né Alonzo Theodore Williams; 1888–1953), alto sax
- Raleigh-born John Haywood (né John Craven Haywood; 1877–1968), tuba, violin
- Georgia-born Dennis Johnson (né Dennis Alexander Johnson; born 1879), drums
- Manhattan-born Bernard "Buttercup" Parker (né Bernard Henry Parker; 1895–1975), violin
- Philadelphia-born Arthur Fields (1884–1953), vocalist
- 1922
- Philadelphia-born Arthur Fields (1884–1953), vocalist
- Wesley Johnson, trumpet[Note 3]
- John Reeves, trombone
- Burlington, Ohio-born, Herschel Brassfield (né Hershel Lee Brassfield; 1895–1931), clarinet, alto sax
- Washington, D.C.-born Willie Carroll (né William Thomas Carroll; 1881–1943), violin
- Mose Ross (né Elwin Mose Ross; born 1 May 1891), drums
Ziegfeld Follies
[edit]As put by author Paul Lopes, PhD, in his 2002 book, The Rise of a Jazz Art World, "The lack of recognition of black professional musicians by white professional musicians is striking considering the popularity of black orchestras since the syncopated dance craze. The black professional musician Ford Dabney, for example, regularly led his syncopated orchestra at the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway as part of the Ziegfeld Follies "Midnight Frolic Show" from 1913 to 1921.[16][17]
Works
[edit]Songs
[edit]- "Haytian Blues" (©1907), written for president, Pierre Nord Alexis (1820–1910), who – after declaring himself President for life and being ousted from power December 2, 1908 – went into excile; first to Jamaica, then to New Orleans.
- "You Can Learn the Hootchie-Kootchie for a Dollar and Thirty Cents" (©1908), words by Henry Creamer (1879–1930), music by Dabney, published by M. Witmark & Sons; featured in the 1909 production, The Blanche Ring Vaudeville Act[I]
- "Oh! You Devil" (©1909), rag for piano, by Dabney, was published by Maurice Shapiro. Dabney composed it as a quasi-ballet number for Aida Overton Walker, initially as part of his 1909 one-act operetta, The King’s Quest.[18] Its premier is unclear. One account states that Aida Overton Walker introduced it in February 1909 as a dance in Chicago as part of a post-Broadway production of Bandanna Land[19] billed as The New Bandanna Land or "the 2nd edition" of Bandanna Land. The publisher, on February 25, 1910, copyrighted a song version with words by E. Ray Goetz (1886–1954).[II][20][i] "Oh! You Devil" became a favorite of the Clef Club Symphony Orchestra.
- From His Honor the Barber (1909)
- "Shine" (©1910), R.C. McPherson (aka Cecil Mack) and Ford Dabney, publisher[ii] words Cecil Mack, music by Dabney.[III][IV]
- The song debuted in S.H. Dudley's 1909 production of His Honor the Barber, with a notable production in 1911 at the Majestic Theater, currently the site if the Time Warner Center. Stars included Dudley and Aida Overton Walker (1880–1914), who sang "Shine."
- According to songwriter Perry Bradford, the song was inspired by a real person named 'Shine' (possibly 'Kid Shine'), a street tough who was a friend of George Walker, and who was caught with Walker in the New York City race riot of August 1900.[21]
- David Krasner, in his 1995 article, "Parody and Double Consciousness in the Language of Early Black Musical Theatre," stated, "Not only do the lyrics echo themes in Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1895 poem 'We Wear the Mask,' the text signifies what Du Bois calls living a 'double life, with double thoughts, double duties, and double social classes ... ' The lyrics of 'Shine' draw our attention to the double consciousness of racial identity, and parody racism through inverting the position of the signifier. The signifier (Walker) inverts the signified (racial identification; i.e., names), subverting racist signification. 'Shine,' Richard Newman writes, 'is almost a song of social protest in its antiracism."[22]
- In 1924, fourteen years after "Shine" was published, Lew Brown changed the lyrics from a black man singing about himself to a shoe shine man who has a sunny outlook.
- Songs (continued)
- "Anoma," [characteristic] rag, Jerome H. Remick, publisher (©1910),[iii][V]
William Starmer or Frederick Starmer, cover art. - "The Pensacola Mooch" (©1910), Will Cook & Dabney (w&m)
- "Enticement" (©1914), Argentine idyl, by Eporue Yenbad (pseudonyms of James Reese Europe and Ford Dabney), arranged by William H. Penn (né William Henry Penn; 1868–1929)[VI]
- From Ziegfeld Follies of 1910
- "That Minor Strain" (©1910), Gotham-Attucks Music Co., publisher[Note 4][iv]
- "Porto Rico," rag intermezzo (©1910), Maurice Shapiro, publisher[v][VII]
- "Oh! You Angel," rag (©1911), Maurice Shapiro, publisher[vi][VIII]
- "Georgia Grind" (©1915), Jos. W. Stern & Co., publisher[vii]
- Castle compositions, co-composed with James Reese Europe, Joseph W. Stern (1870–1934), publisher[23]
- "The Castle Walk," trot and one-step (©1914) [viii][ix]
- "Castle Innovation Tango," Argentine tango (©1914)
- "Castle Combination," waltz-trot (©1914)
- "Congratulations Valse" (aka "Castle Lame Duck"), waltz (©1914)
- "Castle Valse Classique," humoreske (©1914)
- "Castle Perfect Trot," one trot, arranged by Carl F. Williams[Note 5] (©1914) (image of the violin part)
- "Castle Maxixe," Brazilian maxixe (©1914)
- "Castles' Half and Half" (©1914)
- From Kern and Bolton's Nobody's Home, Princess Theatre (1915)[Note 6]
- "The San Francisco Fair," lyrics by Schuyler Greene, music by Dabney and James Reese Europe; performed in Act 2 sang by the character Miss Tony Miller with Chorus; Miller was played by Adele Rowland and Zoe Barnett
- Songs (continued)
- "The Last Waltz," music by Dabney, published by Jos. W. Stern & Co. (©1914)
- "Boy of Mine" (©1917), words by Gene Buck, music by Dabney and James Reese Europe[x]
- "Come Back and Bring My Heart," words by Lester Aglar Walton (1882–1965) and Alex (aka Alec) Rogers (né Alexander Claude Rogers; 1876–1930),[24] music by Dabney, arrangement by Alfred Ross (né Alfred Wigg Ross; 1892–1933) (©1917)[xi][IX]
- "Just Live on Love" words by Lester Aglar Walton (1882–1965) and Alex Rogers,[24] music by Dabney, arrangement by Alfred Ross (©1917)[xii][X]
- "Bugle Call Blues" (aka "Bugle Call Rag")[25]
- "Camp Meeting Blues" (1919)
- "You Can't Shake That Shimmie Here" (©1919), words by Alex Rogers, music by Dabney, Jerome H. Remick & Co., publisher[xiii]
- "Honey Dear" (©1934), from the 1934 film Social Register; Harms, Inc., publisher[xiv][XI]
- "I'll Love You Next" (©1951), word by R.C. McPherson, music by Dabney, Shapiro, Bernstein & Co.[xv]
Scores
[edit]- The King's Quest (©1909)
- — An operetta, lyrics by J. Mord Allen (né Junius Mordecai Allen; 1875–1953), an African American poet, music by Dabney, which includes the song, "Oh! You Devil."
- Rang Tang (©1927)
- — A musical revue in 2 acts, book by Kaj (Kay) Gynt,[Note 7][P] Joseph H. Trent co-wrote the lyrics with Ford Dabney, who wrote the music for Mae Barnes and Evelyn Preer. Leo Feist published it (©1927; renewed 1954). It ran on Broadway from July 12, 1927, through Oct 24, 1927, at the Royale Theater and September 1927 through sometime October 1927 at the Majestic Theater.[XII][XIII][21]
- Cast: The presence of performers Flournoy Miller and Aubrey Lyles was the reason it ran over 14 weeks. Also in the cast, Daniel L. Haynes, who sings bass; Zaidee Jackson, Josephine Hall, Inez Draw, Lillian Westmoreland, James Strange ...
- In September 1927, "The Witch Doctor," a new scene by Trent and Dabney was added to the show.
- After closing on Broadway, Rang Tang opened in Brooklyn at Werba's Theater.
- "Brown"
- "Come to Africa"
- "Ee Yah"
- "Everybody Shout"
- "Feelin' Kinda Good"
- "Harlem"
- "Jubilee in Monkeyland"
- "Jungle Rose"
- "King and Queen"
- "Pay Me"
- "Sammy and Topsy"
- "Sammy's Banjo"
- "Six Little Wives"
- "Some Day"
- "Sweet Evening Breeze"
- "Voodoo"
- "Zulu Fifth Avenue"
Quotes
[edit]“ | According to songwriter Perry Bradford, the song was inspired by a real person named 'Shine' (possibly 'Kid Shine'), a street tough who was a friend of George Walker, and who was caught with Walker in the New York City race riot of August 1900 | ” |
— (attribution?)[21] |
“ | Not only do the lyrics echo themes in Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1895 poem 'We Wear the Mask,' the text signifies what Du Bois calls living a 'double life, with double thoughts, double duties, and double social classes ... ' The lyrics of 'Shine' draw our attention to the double consciousness of racial identity, and parody racism through inverting the position of the signifier. The signifier (Walker) inverts the signified (racial identification; i.e., names), subverting racist signification. 'Shine,' Richard Newman writes, 'is almost a song of social protest in its antiracism.'[22] | ” |
Professional affiliations
[edit]- In April 1910, Dabney and several professional colleagues – including James Reese Europe, William Tyers (fr) (1870–1924), and Joe Jordan – formed the Clef Club, a union and booking agency that elevated the working conditions for black musicians in New York City.
- Around 1910, Dabney formed several touring vaudeville groups, among which, he and violinist Willie Carroll (né William Thomas Carroll; 1881–1943) conceived and produced Dabney's Ginger Girls, who first performed at his theater in Washington, D.C., before going on the road. The Ginger girls were a duet: Lottie Gee (née Charlotte O. Gee; 1886–1973), dancer and soprano, and Effie King, dancer and contralto (photo in New York Age, June 12, 1913, p. 6; accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- Dabney, Europe, and others left the Clef Club and, in 1913, organized the Tempo Club (an African American talent bureau), which became a rival to the Clef Club.
- Dabney became a member of ASCAP in 1937
Chief collaborators
[edit]- As bandleaders, songwriters, professional organization founders
- James Reese Europe (1880–1919): Dabney worked as a composer with the band leader James Reese Europe, with whom he founded the Clef Club
- As songwriters
- Joe Trent (né Joseph Hannibal Trent; 1892–1954), American lyricist; re: 1927 Broadway production of Rang Tang
- Cecil Mack (1873–1944); re: Shine
- Lew Brown (1893–1958)
- Tim Brymn (1874–1946)[26]
As theater orchestra musical director
- Florenz Ziegfeld (1867–1932): Dabney collaborated with Florenz Ziegfeld in the 1915 production of Midnight Frolic.
Discography
[edit]- Ford Dabney's Orchestra, "The Allies Trumphal," march, composed by Frederick M. Bryan, Aeolian Company, recorded in New York, 1919
1919: Death of James Reese Europe
[edit]- James Reese Europe in Boston at Mechanics Hall, during an intermission, berated a snare drummer, Herbert B. Wright (born 1895), who became enraged and lunged at Europe's neck with a pen knife; in what seemed initially to be a minor nick, but quickly turned fatal. Wright was convicted of manslaughter and served 8 years of a 10-to-12-year sentence in the Massachusetts State Prison.[27]
- After his release on March 30, 1927, he, with his wife Lillie, lived in Roxbury, Boston, at 23 Haskins Street, working as an elevator operator, a dance band drummer, and a private drum teacher. One of Wright's young students, Roy Haynes, lived across the street at 30 Haskins.[Genealogy 1]
Selected audio, discography, and rollography
[edit]As composer
[edit]- "Anoma"
- "Enticement," composed by G. Noceti (pseudonym of Ford Dabney)[28]
- "Castle Walk"
- Europe's Society Orchestra, Victor 17553-A, Matrix: B-14434, recorded February 10, 1914, New York
Dabney is pianist
(audio via YouTube) - Black Manhattan, Vol. 2, The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Rick Benjamin, director, New World Records (2012): OCLC 820126531
(audio via YouTube)
- Europe's Society Orchestra, Victor 17553-A, Matrix: B-14434, recorded February 10, 1914, New York
- "Castle Perfect Trot"
- Black Manhattan (Vol. 1 of 3) (2002); OCLC 1131516363
(audio via YouTube)
- Black Manhattan (Vol. 1 of 3) (2002); OCLC 1131516363
- "Oh! You Devil"
- "Shine"
- Showarama Gypsy Jazz, Magnolia Entertainment NOLA
(instrumental only; audio via YouTube) - Dick Hyman, from the album There Will Never Be Another You, Jazz Connaisseur JCCD 9831-2, Live, Old Church (de), Boswil, Switzerland, October 25, 1998
(audio via YouTube) - Bing Crosby with the The Mills Brothers, Brunswick 6276 & 6485, Matrix B11376A, recorded February 29, 1932, New York; OCLC 244487099
- Quintette du Hot Club de France: Stephane Grappelli (violin), Django Reinhardt (guitar), Joseph Reinhardt (guitar), Baro Ferret (guitar), Louis Vola (bass), Freddy Taylor, vocalist
Grammophon (F)K-7790, Matrix OLA1293-1, recorded October 15, 1936, Paris
(audio via YouTube)
- Showarama Gypsy Jazz, Magnolia Entertainment NOLA
- "Bugle Call Blues"
As band and orchestra leader
[edit]- "The Dancing Deacon" (©1919), by Frederick M. Bryan (1889–1929)
- Dabney's Band, Aeolian Vocalion B 12217, recorded September 1919, New York
(audio via YouTube)[11]
- Dabney's Band, Aeolian Vocalion B 12217, recorded September 1919, New York
- "Lassus Trombone" (©1915), one step (and trombone smear), by Henry Fillmore
- Dabney's Band with Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic, Aeolian Vocalion B 12119, matrix 1486, recorded February 1919, New York(audio via YouTube)
-
- "I'm So Glad My Mamma Don't Know Where I'm At" (©1915), words and music by Willie Toosweet (né Willie Perry)[31][Note 8]
- "Sweet Man O' Mine" (©1921), words and music by Roy Turk and J. Russel Robinson
- "Doo Dah Blues" (©1922), Fred Rose & Eddie White (pseudonym of Ted Fio Rito)
Rollography
[edit]- "Shine"
- "Anoma"
Filmography
[edit]"Shine"
- 1931: A Rhapsody in Black and Blue – performed by Louis Armstrong and band
- 1941: Birth of the Blues – sang by Bing Crosby
- 1942: Casablanca – sang by Dooley Wilson as Sam accompanied by the band in the setting at Rick's Cafe
- 1943: Cabin in the Sky – John William Sublett (aka John W. Bubbles) animates "Shine" in a song-and-dance number in the movie
- 1955: The Benny Goodman Story – performed on trumpet by Harry James
- 1956: The Eddy Duchin Story – performed by Tyrone Power as Eddy Duchin and Rex Thompson as Peter Duchin with accompaniment
Pioneers and early purveyors of ragtime piano
[edit]In an effort to place Dabney as a ragtime pianist among peers, Elliott Shapiro (1895–1956), son of one of Dabney's publishers, Maurice Shapiro, in a 1951 article, offered a list of standout ragtime pianists — in two categories:[20]
- Ragtime pioneers
- Mike Bernard (1875–1936)
- George Botsford (1874–1949)
- Louis Chauvin (1881–1908)
- Ben Harney (1872–1938)
- Tony Jackson (1882–1921)
- Scott Joplin (1868–1917)
- Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941)
- Tom Turpin (1871–1932)
- Percy Wenrich (1887–1952)
- Later ragtimers
- Eubie Blake (1887–1983)
- Ed. B. Claypoole (fr) (1883–1952)
- Les C. Copeland (1887–1942)
- Ford Dabney
- Lucien Denni (1886–1947)[1]
- James P. Johnson (1894–1955)
- Jay Roberts (fr) (1890–1932)
- Luckey Roberts (1887–1968)
- J. Russel Robinson (1892–1963)
- Willie "The Lion" Smith (1893–1973)
- Fats Waller (1904–1943)
- Pete Wendling (1888–1974)
- James Edison 'Slap' White (1881– c. 1930s)
Many ragtime pianist, beginning around the 1920s, went on to perform Stride (music) and boogie-woogie and various lists included artists more identified with either. Elliott's two lists above, excludes those who are more known as (i) non-piano ragtime composers (ii) ragtime revivalist (iii) stride pianists, and (iv) boogie-woogie pianists. Early standout ragtime pianists not included on Elliott's above two lists include:
- Not on Elliott's list
- Winifred Atwell (1910 or 1914–1983)
- Frank P. Banta (1870–1903)
- William Bolcom (born 1938)
- Euday L. Bowman (1887–1949)
- Brun Campbell (1884–1952)
- Hughie Cannon (1877–1912)
- Glover Compton (1884–1964)
- William Ezell (1892–1963)
- Blind Leroy Garnett (1897–1933)
- Wallie Herzer (1885–1961)
- Fred Hylands (1872–1913)
- Dick Hyman (born 1927)
- Sue Keller (born 1952)
- Jean-Baptiste Lafrenière (1874–1912)
- Lincoln Mayorga (born 1937)
- Bob Milne – "ragtime boogie"
- Lewis F. Muir (1883–1915)
- Wally Rose (1913–1997)
- Scott (1885–1938)
- William Turk (1866–1911)
- Bee Walker (1898–1997)
- Arnold Wiley (1898–1964)
Family
[edit]Parents
Ford Thompson Dabney was born to John Wesley (J.W.) Dabney (1851–1924)[A] and Rebecca Ford (maiden; 1854–1896).[Genealogy 2][Q][R] J.W. and Rebecca married November 13, 1879, in Alexandria, Virginia.[Genealogy 3] J.W. was a musician and celebrated barber, who, according to the Washington Times in 1903, had cut hair for President McKinley and President Theodore Roosevelt.[B][C] Beginning around 1889, J.W. Dabney was often referred to as Capt. J.W. Dabney, reflecting his rank in a Washington, D.C.-based African-American milita known as the Washington Cadet Corps, founded June 12, 1880 – which in 1887, was the first unit to become a permanent part of the then newly established District of Columbia National Guard, Fifth Battalion.[33] Capt. Dabney, nonetheless, as a professional, was chronicled as an innovative and successful tonsorial artist. Ford's step-mother, Capt. Dabney's second wife (married December 21, 1898) – Gertrude V. Dabney (née Gertrude V. Adams; 1876–1961) – sold J.W. Dabney's tonic products.
J.W. Dabney's barber shop, in the latter 1880s, was at the Hamilton House Hotel, 14th and K Streets, N.W. (same site as the Hamilton Hotel erected in 1922 at the northwest corner of Franklin Square). On November 15, 1888, J.W. Dabney opened a barber shop at Welckers Hotel (see photo below), 721 15th Street, N.W., between New York Avenue and H Street, N.W.
Ford Dabney's stepmother, Gertrude, in 1929, held the distinction of serving on the first all-women jury in Washington, D.C. She was the only non-white.[S]
Wife
Dabney married on March 14, 1912, in Washington to Martha D. Gans, widow of boxer Joe Gans who owned the Goldfield Hotel in Baltimore at the corner of East Lexington and Colvin Streets, just east of downtown, in the Pleasant View Gardens neighborhood.
Ford and Martha had a son, Ford Thompson Dabney, Jr. (1917–1983).
Uncle and step-aunt: James H. and Ruby H. Dabney
Gertrude's sister (Ford Dabney's step-aunt), Ruby H. Dabney (née Ruby Adams; 1872–1901) (see photo below), was the second of three wives of one of Ford's uncles, James H. Dabney (1846–1923), a prominent and affluent Washington, D.C.-based undertaker and philanthropist. Ruby, in 1898, earned a professional degree from the Massachusetts College of Embalming, Boston (founded 1895) – notable because she was the first African American woman in the history of Washington, D.C., to earn a college diploma.[T]
Uncle: Wendell Phillips Dabney
His uncle, Wendell Phillips Dabney (1965–1952), who is chronicled as having been one of his music teachers, became founding president of Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP, author, and newspaper editor and publisher of the Ohio Enterprise, later named The Union, both late of Cincinnati.
Great uncle: John Marshall Dabney
One of Ford Dabney's great uncles, John Marshall Dabney (1824–1900) was, in November 2015, honored in Richmond, Virginia, at the Quirk Hotel as a famed caterer and bartender – known as the world's greatest mint julep maker.[34] The event was attended by notable community members and one of his great-great granddaughters, Jennifer Hardy (née Jennifer Dehaven Jackson). Jennifer's mother (great-granddaughter-in-law of John Marshall Dabney), Mary Hinkson (1925–2014), was an internationally celebrated modern dancer.[35]
One of John Marshall Dabney's sons
John Milton Dabney (1867–1967) was a player in the Black baseball leagues.[36] Alexander "Buck" Spottswood, as manager, and J. Milton Dabney as team captain, reorganized, in 1895, the Manhattan Baseball Club of Richmond, Virginia. J.M. Dabney also played for the Original Cuban Giants of St. Augustine, Florida, and Trenton, New Jersey – the first professional African-American baseball team.
Spottswood
[edit]- Alexander "Buck" Spottswood was, in 1895, president of the "Richmond Rooters' Cycle Club." He, with Albert Smith, was also co-proprietor of the Richmond Rooters' Saloon on at 312 North 17th Street.
Photo gallery
[edit]
-
1898
Ruby H. Dabney -
March 1906
15th St, N.W., looking north from New York Avenue. Welcker's Hotel – second building on the right
Parents and uncle addresses
[edit]- LeDroit Park???
James W. Dabney
[edit]- 1894: James H. & Ruby Dabney – 418 L Street, N.W.[D]
- 1923: James H. & Ruth Dabney – 1132 3rd St., N.W. (built by J.H. Dabney in 1897; 7 rooms and bath, brick, 3-story)
John W. Dabney
[edit]- 1892: John W. Dabney: 442 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. (per city directory)
- 1904: John W. Dabney, 1006 F Street, N.W. (per city directory)
- 1906: J.W. Dabney, 1006 F Street, N.W. (per passenger arrival list)[Genealogy 4]
- In May 1906, John W. Dabney purchased from Lomza-born Jacob Keroes (1863–1932), a tailor, and his wife, Lomza-born Rose Cohen (1861–1940), through realtor Charles J. Butler, 618 R Street, N.W., lot 174, square 444, for $10.[U]
- 1910: J.W. Dabney, 618 R Street, N.W. (per 1910 US Census)
- 1920: J.W. Dabney, 618 R Street, N.W. (per 1920 US Census)
- 1930: Gertrude V. Dabney, 618 R Street, N.W. (per 1930 US Census)
- 1933: Gertrude V. Dabney, 618 R Street, N.W. (per city directory)
J.W. Dabney's barber shop
[edit]- 1886–1888: Hamilton House Hotel, 14th and K Streets, N.W. (same site as the Hamilton Hotel erected in 1922 at the northwest corner of Franklin Square)
- 1888 (opened November 15, 1888): Welckers Hotel, 721 15th Street, N.W., between New York Avenue and H Street, N.W.
- 1891: Welcker's Hotel Barber Shop, 10th, 11th and F Streets, N.W.
- 1892: 727 15th Street, N.W. (per city directory)
Gertrude Dabney, barber
[edit]- 1929: 1344 G Street, N.W. (per city directory)
- 1931: 1344 G Street, N.W. (per city directory)
- 1935: 809 13th Street, N.W. (per city directory)
- 1937: 809 13th Street, N.W. (per city directory)
- 1938: 809 13th Street, N.W. (per city directory)
Mrs. J.W. Dabney, sales
[edit]- 1901: 1132 3rd Street, N.W.
Notes, copyrights, references
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Nappy Lee once performed with Wilbur Sweatman's Orchestra. Joe Jordan (1882–1971) composed in 1904 a song titled "Nappy Lee" (©1904), a slow drag, for mandolin orchestra in commemoration of Nappy Lee. Jordan sold it to a Des Moines publisher, J.E. Agnew (Joseph Erskine Agnew; 1868–1949). (Catalog of Copyright Entries, Class C, Musical Compositions, Vol. 40, No. 15, 1904; "Nappy Lee," © 28 March 1904; 2nd copy 22 January 1904; C67561, p. 145). "Nappy Lee," recorded December 15, 1903, was Jordan's first recording of a rag.
During its best days, the Pekin Theatre was a haven for musicians and entertainers. Located at the northwest comer of State and 27th streets – now the site of the City of Chicago's Third District Police Station—the Pekin saw its heyday between the years 1905 and 1914. Besides a house orchestra, the Pekin featured a dramatic company, vaudeville, and musical revues. Associated with the theatre at one time or another were Clarence Williams and Shelton Brooks, songwriters; Nappy Lee and Wilbur Sweatman, clarinetists; Miller and Lyles, comedians; Richard B. Harrison (the actor who played God in The Green Pastures; and Will Marion Cook, bandleader. (Yearbook of Swing, Down Beat, 1939) - ^ J. Nimrod Jones, Jr. (John Nimrod Jones, Jr.; 1880–1934) was born Leon Jones, but at some point, probably around 1903, he adopted his father's name, John Nimrod Jones, Jr.
- ^ C. Wesley Johnson, cornetist, recorded from 1920 to 1922 in New York with Lucille Hegamin (1894–1970) and her Blue Flame Syncopators. He also served as president of the New Amsterdam Musical Association (N.A.M.A.). He was a founding member of the Clef Club. Johnson taught cello at the Colored Music Settlement School in Manhattan. The 1920 US Census enumerates Johnson as a student at Wilberforce University in Xenia, Ohio.
- ^ Gotham-Attucks Music Publishing Company, based in New York was founded in 1905. Gotham-Attucks Music Publishing Company, based in Manhattan, was formed July 15, 1905, by merger of Gotham Music Company, founded by songwriter Richard Cecil McPherson (aka Cecil Mack) early 1905, and Attucks Music Publishing Company.
- ^ Carl F. Williams (né Carl Friedrich Christian Daniel Knust; 28 July 1867 Eldagsen, Hannover, Germany – 30 October 1944 Manhattan) was an American arranger.
- ^ The 1915 production of Nobody Home at the Princess Theatre was an American debut of a 1905 English musical, Mr. Popple of Ippleton.
- ^ Kaj Gynt was a playwright who grew up in Stockholm as a friend of Greta Garbo. ("The Shy, Sad Little Girl Who Became a Star," by Adela Rogers St. Johns, Liberty Magazine, Vol. 11, No. 3, August 1934, p. 28) She and her brother, Arne, also a thespian, first arrived in the United States in 1915. Kaj Gynt played Kate in the 1917 film The Eternal Mother and was an extra, a skating party guest, in the 1917 film, The Last Sentence, directed by Ben Turbett. In New York, she wrote the books for the 1929 production, Rang Tang, and in 1936, she co-authored with Langston Hughes the production Cock o' the World, music by Duke Ellington and Wilbur Strickland, and Billy Strayhorn – but the work was never performed.
- ^ Willie Too Sweet (né William Perry) was a vaudeville comedian, who, with his wife, Lulu Too Sweet, aka "Little Lulu" (née Susan Johnson; 1889–1923), managed the Gem Theater in Memphis between 1908 and 1910. Beginning around 1910, they began traveling southern vaudeville circuits as a duet comedy act, mixing confrontational humor with vernacular dancing and blues singing. In 1913, the song, "I'm So Glad My Mamma Don't Know Where I'm At," showcased Lula Too Sweet's bad-little-girl persona ("The Iroquois Theater" ‹of New Orleans›, by Lynn Abbot and Jack Stewart, The Jazz Archivist, Vol. 9 No. 2, December 1994; OCLC 748504163; ISSN 1085-8415). Willie Too Sweet became known as the "King of Colored Comedians" (sic). Beginning around 1939, he began starring with the Royal American Shows, which also featured Pine-Top's boogie-woogie piano.
Copyrights
[edit]- Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 3 – Musical Compositions, New Series (ending 1945) & Third Series (beginning 1946), Library of Congress, Copyright Office
- Original copyrights
- ^ Vol. 4, August 1909, Nos. 31–34 (1909), p. 730, "Oh! You Devil," rag, for piano
- ^ Vol. 5; December 1910, Nos. 48–52 (1910), p. 1565, "That's Why They Call Me Shine"
- ^ Vol. 6; January 1911, No. 1 (1911), p. 6, "Anoma," piano rag
- ^ Vol. 5; December 1910, Nos. 48–52 (1910), p. 1565, "That Minor Strain"
- ^ Vol. 6; January 1911, No. 1 (1911), p. 75, "Porto Rico," piano rag,
- ^ Vol. 6; March 1911, No. 3 (1911), p. 342, "Oh You Angel," rag
- ^ Vol. 10; April 1915, No. 4 (1915), p. 238, "Georgia Grind"
- ^ Vol. 10; April 1915, No. 4 (1914), p. 323, "The Castle Walk," et al.
- ^ Vol. 9; April 1915, No. 7 (1914), p. 766, "Castle Combination," et al.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Copyright Boy-of-Mine E365176 ©1915
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vol. 12; February 1917, No. 2 (1917), p. 88, "Come Back To Me and Bring My Heart"
- ^ Vol. 12; February 1917, No. 2 (1917), p. 105, "Come Back To Me and Bring My Heart"
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Copyright Shake-That-Shimmie E445074 ©1919
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Honey-Dear EP40321 ©1934
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vol. 5, Part 5B, No. 2; July-December 1951 (1951), p. 321; "I'll Love You Next" (unpublished)
- Copyright renewals
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
You Can Learn the Hootchie-Kootchie-renewals 1936 R44234
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vol. 32, No. 3; March 1938 (1938), p. 382; "Oh! You Devil Rag"
- ^ Vol. 5, Part 5C, No. 1; January-June 1951 (1951), p. 65; "Shine"
- ^ Vol. 5, Part 5C, No. 2; July-December 1951 (1951), p. 151; "S-H-I-N-E," arrangement by Jack Glogau (né Jacob A. Glogau; 1886–1953)
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Anoma-renewals 1938 R61581
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vol. 36, No. 7; July 1941 (1941), p. 1378; "Enticement"
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Porto-Rico-renewals 1938 R63841
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Oh-You-Angel-renewals 1938 R63843
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vol. 39, No. 7; July-December 1944 (1944), p. 919; "Come Back and Bring My Heart"
- ^ Vol. 39, No. 8; July-December 1944 (1944), p. 427; "Just Live on Love"
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Copyright Honey-Dear-renewals 1961 Jan-Jun
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Vol. 8, Part 5C, No. 1; January-June 1954 (1954), pps. 20, 26, 59, 63, 66, 70, 92; songs from Rang Tang
- ^ Vol. 8, Part 5C, No. 2; January-June 1954 (1954), pps. 100, 104, 109, 110, 111, 118, 129, 130, 147, 150, 153, 157, 158, 161, 169, 177; songs from Rang Tang
Encyclopedic/biographical references
[edit]- The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary (3rd ed.), American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (1966)
- Biographical Dictionary of American Music, by Charles Eugene Claghorn (1911–2005), West Nyack: Parker Publishing Company, Inc. (1973), p. 113; OCLC 499284774; ISBNs 0-1307-6331-4; 978-0-1307-6331-0
- The Oxford Companion to Popular Music, by Peter Gammond (1925–2019), Oxford Companions, Oxford University Press (1991)
- Biography Index, A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines, Vol. 14, September 1984 – August 1986, H.W. Wilson Co. (1986)
- Profiles of African American Stage Performers and Theatre People, 1816–1960, by Bernard L. Peterson, Jr., Greenwood Press (2001)
- Biographical Dictionary of Afro-American and African Musicians, by Eileen Jackson Southern (1920–2002), Greenwood Press (1982)
- In Black and White, A guide to magazine articles, newspaper articles, and books concerning black individuals and groups (3rd ed.), Mary Mace Spradling (née Mary Elizabeth Mace; 1911–2009) (ed.)
Inline
[edit]- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
ASCAP 3 & 4 1966; 1980
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b The Jazz Discography, Tom Lord (ed.) (retrieved April 20, 2015)
- ^ Brotherhood in Rhythm – The Jazz Tap Dancing of the Nicholas Brothers, by Constance Valis Hill, Oxford University Press (2002); OCLC 50308163
- ^ "Castle Walk" (recording), Europe's Society Orchestra, Victor, Matrix: B-14434, recorded February 10, 1914, New York; OCLC 29927606
- ^ "The Great American Revue – African American Composers and Conductors: Ford T. Dabney," by Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, New York Public Library (website), May 18, 2012 (retrieved January 25, 2020)
- ^ ASCAP Biographical Dictionary (4th ed.) (re: "Dabney, Ford T"), compiled for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers by Jaques Cattell Press, R.R. Bowker (1980), p. 108
- ^ "Ford T. Dabney" by Bill Edwards (né William G. Motley; born 1959), ragpiano
.com Website administrator: Bill Edwards - ^ The Oxford Companion to Jazz, Bill Kirchner (ed.), Oxford Companions, Oxford University Press (200), pps. 36 & 767
- ^ Musings: The Musical Worlds of Gunther Schuller – A Collection of Writings, re: "Europe, James Reese," by Gunther Schuller, Oxford University Press (1986), p. 37
- ^ a b Motion Picture Exhibition in Washington, D.C.: An Illustrated History of Parlors, Palaces and Multiplexes in the Metropolitan Area, 1894–1997, by Robert Kirk Headley (born 1938), McFarland & Company, Inc. (2006); OCLC 1058367286
- ^ a b Jazz Records, 1897–1942 (4th revised & enlarged ed.) (Vol. 1 of 2) (re: "Ford Dabney"), by Brian Rust (1922–2011), Arlington House Publishers (1978), pps. 378–380; OCLC 258280744; ISBN 0-87000-404-2
- ^ That's Got 'em! – The Life and Music of Wilbur C. Sweatman, by Mark Berresford, University Press of Mississippi (2010), p. 80; ISBN 978-1-6047-3099-9
- ^ Rags and Ragtime: A Musical History, by David A. Jasen, Trebor Jay Tichenor, Dover Publications (1978), p. 60
- ^ Father of the Blues – An Autobiography, by W. C. Handy, The MacMillan Company (©1941, 1942; reprint 1944)
- ^ "Obituaries: Davis, Clifton (Pike)," The Black Perspective in Music, Vol. 5, No. 2, Autumn 1977, p. 233; ISSN 0090-7790 (accessible via JSTOR at www
.jstor .org /stable /1214087) - ^ The Rise of a Jazz Art World, by Paul Lopes, Cambridge University Press (2002), p. 60
- ^ The Wind Band in and Around New York ca. 1830–1950, edited by Frank J. Cipolla & Donald Hunsberger, Belwin-Mills (2005; 2007), pps. 51–53; OCLC 156833235
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Black-Manhattan Vol 2 notes
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Bandanaland 1
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Ragtime, U.S.A.," by Elliott Shapiro (1895–1956), Notes, Second Series, Vol. 8, No. 3, June 1951, pps. 457–470 (accessible via JSTOR at www
.jstor .org /stable /891042; subscription required) - ^ a b c Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919, by Tim Brooks, Richard Keith Spottswood, University of Illinois Press (2004; paperback 2005), p. 395
- ^ a b "Parody and Double Consciousness in the Language of Early Black Musical Theatre," by David Krasner, African American Review, Vol. 29, No. 2, Special Issues on The Music, Summer 1995, pps. 317–323; OCLC 5552846201, 5855275910 (accessible via JSTOR at www
.jstor .org /stable /3042310; subscription required) - ^ "The Music of James Reese Europe For Vernon and Irene Castle," (masters thesis), by Ralph G. Barrett, University of South Carolina, Scholar Commons, January 1, 2013; OCLC 855867403
- ^ a b "In Search of Will Vodery" (re: Will Vodery), by Mark Tucker, Black Music Research Journal, Vol. 16, No. 1, Spring 1996, pps. 123–182 (accessible via JSTOR at www
.jstor .org /stable /779380; subscription required) - ^ "Ford Dabney Discography," Record Research, Robert Colton & Len Kunstadt (1925–1996), eds., Vol. 1, No. 2, April 1955, pps. 7–8; ISSN 0034-1592
- ^ Harlem Renaissance Lives from the African American National Biography, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. & Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, Oxford University Press (2009)
- ^ Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats, by Frederick J. Spencer, MD, University Press of Mississippi (2002), p. 64; OCLC 773827397
- ^ The Columbia Master Book Discography (Vol. 4 of 4: U.S. Twelve-Inch Matrix Series, 1906–1931) (re: "Enticement"), by Brian Rust & Tim Brooks, Greenwood Press (1999), p. 99; ISBN 0-3132-1464-6 (set)
- ^ "Records Noted – Willie the Lion Smith: Harlem Memories," by Robert L. Thompson (1926–2010), The Record Changer, January 1954, p. 17
- ^ "Index of 3,836 Tune Titles and Composers," (Stomp Off; 1001–1436), Updates:
22 June 2018 at "Buddy’s Habits"
6 July 2018 at "Land of Dreams"
30 July 2018 at "I Never Knew What a Gal Could Do"
25 November 2019 at "Emperor Norton's Hunch" - ^ The Redd Foxx Encyclopedia of Black Humor (re: "Willie Too Sweet"), by Red Foxx and Norma Miller, Ritchie Press (1977); OCLC 903912119
- ^ Copy at the University of North Texas Libraries, "Joe M. Morris Piano Roll Collection, 1902–2006," Item 2456, re: "Shine" (piano roll), performed by Ferde Grofé, Ampico 205001-E; OCLC 956792744
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Columbia-Historical-Soc 1971-72, Vols. 71-72
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Untold Story," by Roscoe Simmons, Chicago Tribune, April 3, 1949, Part 3, p. 4S (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ Richmond's Culinary History: Seeds of Change, by Maureen Egan, Susan Winiecki, American Palate (2017), p. 64; ISBN 978-1-4671-3815-4
- ^ "John Milton Dabney," Baseball History Daily (blog of Thom Karmik) (retrieved January 22, 2020)
Genealogical records
[edit]- ^ The Boston Directory for the Year Commencing August 1, 1933, Sampson & Murdock Company, Vol. 129 (1933); OCLC 27465586"Wright, Herbert B. (Lillie)," p. 1834(accessible via Ancestry.com; subscription required)
"Haynes, Gustavus (Edna)," p. 942 - ^ "District of Columbia Deaths, 1874–1961" (re: "Rebecca C. Dabney"), DOD: August 3, 1896, District of Columbia, citing reference ID 109217, District Records Center, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2115023 (accessible via FamilySearch; free, but login registration required)
- ^ "Virginia, Marriages, 1785–1940" via FamilySearch; re: Marriage of John W. Dabney and Rebecca C. Ford, November 13, 1879, Alexandria, Virginia; FHL Film No. 30497 (accessible via Ancestry.com; subscription required)
- ^ "New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892-1924," database with images, FamilySearch, Roll 712, vol 1580-1582, 18 May 1906 > image 199 of 791; citing NARA microfilm publication T715 and M237
Historic newspapers, magazines, and journals
[edit]- ^ a b "Deaths – Dabney," Evening Star, November 15, 1924, p. 7 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ a b c d "Washington Negro's Succeeds as Pianist," Washington Times, December 31, 1903, p. 5 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ a b "He Shaves Great Men" (includes illustration of J.W. Dabney), Colored American (Washington, D.C., Vol. 9, No. 13, June 29, 1901, pps. 1 & 4 (accessible via Library of Congress at p. 1 & p. 4; also accessible via Newspapers.com: p. 1 & p. 4; subscription required)
- ^ a b "Curbstone Chit and Chat," re: "Miss Ruby Adams," Washington Bee, December 22, 1894, p. 3, col. 1 (accessible via newspapers
.com; subscription required) - ^ "Says She Deserted Him," Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), May 24, 1894, p. 8, col. 3 (bottom) (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ "Divorce Granted," Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), November 10, 1894, p. 3, col. 4 (bottom) (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ "Died – Dabney," Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), No. 13,304, October 24, 1895, p. 7, col. 7 (of 7) (accessible via FultonHistory.com)
- ^ "Colored Pupils Advanced," Washington Times, June 23, 1901, p. 4 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ "Men of the Month," The Crisis, Vol. 12, No. 1, May 1916, pps. 189–190
- ^ (no headline – first sentence) "The Afro-American is 'Making Good' . . . ," The Appeal, Vol. 20 No. 2, January 9, 1904, p. 2, col. 2 (of 7), middle (accessible via Library of Congress, "Chronicling America")
- ^ a b The Washington Bee, August 13, 1910, p. 4 (accessible via Library of Congress, "Chronicling America")a) "Endorses the Theater," by William L. Smith, druggist 4th and Elm Streets, N.W. (LeDroit Park), col. 4b) "The Chelsea Theater," col. 4
- ^ "George Hamilton Dead," The Washington Bee, Vol. 31, No. 29, December 17, 1910, p. 1 (accessible via Newspapers.com"; subscription required)
- ^ "Stageology at Capital City," by W.P.G., New York Age, October 19, 1911, p. 6, col. 5 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ "In the Name of ... " (obituary of Allie Ross), by Percy Outram, New York Age, September 2, 1933, p. 6 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)Note: Percy Outram (né Rowland Percival Outram; 1877–1957) was a Barbados-born musician and music columnist for the New York Age.
- ^ "Tracy F. Cooper Dead," New York Age, January 31, 1925, p. 9 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ "The Vikings Come Again" (photo of Kaj Gynt included), by Walter Bodin, Pantomime, Vol. 2, No. 4, January 28, 1922, p. 8
- ^ "Mrs. Dabney Dead" (mortuary notice), The Washington Bee, Vol. 15, No. 10, August 8, 1896, p. 5, col. 2 (bottom)Note: The notice wrongly states that Rebecca C. Dabney was the wife of Capt. James H. Dabney (she was the wife of Capt. John W. Dabney)(accessible via Library of Congress, "Chronicling America")
- ^ "Dabney" ("Rebecca Ford Dabney") (death notice), Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), Issue No. 13,549, August 5, 1896, p. 8, col. 7 (of 7) (accessible via Library of Congress, "Chronicling America")
- ^ "First All-Women Jury in the District," Evening Star, November 13, 1929, p. 17 ("Society" section) (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Washington-Bee 1898 Oct 29
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Transfers of Real Estate – No. 618 R Street Northwest," Evening Star, May 16, 1906, p. 3, col. 5 (accessible via Newspapers.com; subscription required)
Cite error: A list-defined reference named "Indianapolis-Freeman 1911 Jun 3" is not used in the content (see the help page).
- Category:American military personnel of World War I
- Category:African-American military personnel
- Category:Military musicians
- Category:United States Army officers
- Category:Musicians from Washington, D.C.
- Category:Songwriters from Washington, D.C.
- Category:Entertainers from Washington, D.C.
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template (see the help page).