Al Piantadosi (born John Alberto Joseph Piantadosi;[1] August 18, 1882 in New York City[a] – April 8, 1955 in Encino, California) was an American composer of popular music during the heyday of Tin Pan Alley. He started out as a saloon and vaudeville pianist and rapidly flourished as a songwriter. For about ten years (from 1918 to 1928) he was an independent music publisher.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Career
Piantadosi was born August 18, 1882, in the Italian Quarter of Manhattan, New York. Early in his career (circa 1906), Piantadosi gained recognition as "Ragtime Al,"[13] playing piano at Callahan's Dance Hall on Manhattan's at Chatham Square and Doyers Street in Chinatown, where he wrote the briefly popular "My Mariucci Take a Steamboat"[14] with lyricist George Ronklyn (1878–1943), the bouncer at Callahan's known as "Big Jerry."
Piantadosi's compositions include "I'm Awfully Glad I'm Irish" (1910) and "That's How I Need You" (1912). "The Curse of an Aching Heart" (1913) became his most famous tearjerker. He also composed "Mississippi Days" (1916) and "If You Had All the World and Its Gold."[15][16]
War protest and subsequent controversy
His composition, "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier" (1915) became a controversial protest song. It sold 650,000 copies in the first three months, which helped establish American World War I pacifism as a quantifiable political reality. The song continued to sell well until the United States entered the World War I in 1917. Then it was pretty much discarded. However, a few pro-war writers modified the lyrics in new melodies, including "I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Coward," by Charles Clinton Case (1843–1918) (composer) and Franklin G. McCauley (lyricist) and "I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Slacker," a march by Theodore Baker (1917, G. Schirmer).[17]
Copyright lawsuit
Harry Haas brought a plagiarism suit against Leo Feist, Incorporated, claiming that the melody was from a song he composed in 1914, "You'll Never Know How Much I Really Cared" — Bill Cahalin (né William R. Cahalin; born around 1883), lyricist.[18] The plaintiffs won. And, although credit was never changed, Cahalin won a large settlement.[19] Adolph Deutsch (born 1868), a raincoat maker, was a one-third partner on the song with Haas and Cahalin.
Market successes
Five of his compositions exceeded sales of one million copies.[3]
In 1918, Al Piantadosi and his brother, George, founded Al. Piantadosi & Company, Inc. Personnel that year included:
Himself, Al Piantadosi, as President
Herbert Inman Avery (1887–1955), General Manager
Jack Glogau, Professional Manager
George Piantadosi, Western Manager at 113 North Dearborn Street, Chicago; in February 1920, he left the firm to work for McCarthy & Fisher, Inc.
By 1920, the firm suffered financial duress, owing $40,708.87 with only $7,521.26 in the till. After reaching an agreement to pay creditors 10% in lieu of filing for protection under bankruptcy, Frank Goodman, an employee, paid it and took over the company.[20][21]
From early 1923 to mid 1924, Piantadosi tried his hand at selling real estate lots in Hollywood.
Performing
He was a piano accompanist for several variety artist, including Anna Chandler.[3][22]
Piantadosi eventually moved to California, settling in Encino and worked in semi-retirement, operating Piantadosi Music Publications and Society Records. He died in Encino, California, in 1955.
Selected works
"My Mariuccia" ("Take a Steamboat") "She's Gone Away"
Ed. Lovey — "Ed." was likely an abbreviation for the given name of his wife, Edna Hannah Robinson (maiden; 1889–1962); "Lovey" was the maiden name of his wife's mother, Bertha (née Lovey; 1858–1936)
A.P.
Family
Al Piantadosi's nephew, Arthur Piantadosi (1916–1994), was a sound engineer, notably for motion pictures in Hollywood.
Notes
^Piantadosi's date of birth is, in some instances, listed as July 1883 and July 1884; however, August is the birth-month cited by Piantadosi's 1918 and 1942 military draft records, as well as his California death record. The 1900 US Census (the last name is mangled as Pafafisola but all other demographics are a match) clearly shows that Albert was born in August 1882; so this would be likely be the year of birth, given the birth months and years of his younger siblings
^Ted S. Barron and W. A. Thompson were principals at Barron & Thompson Company of New York; the catalog of Barron & Thompson was acquired in December 1908 by the Shapiro Company
^Harry Cooper Music Publishing Company was incorporated in New York in 1908; the founding directors were Charles Kennedy, Moses Lazarus, and Harry Cooper, all of New York city
^ abcdR.S. (stem rose emblem) — Rosenbaum Studios, Morris Rosenbaum (1886–1957), who formed the studio in the 1910s
References
^"New York City City Marriage Records, 1829–1940," database FamilySearch (John Albert Joseph Piantadosi," (retrieved February 20, 2016); Marriage: John Albert Joseph Piantadosi & Edna Hannah Robinson, April 10, 1916, Manhattan, New York
^ abJasen, David A. (1988). Tin Pan Alley: the Composers, the Songs, the Performers and Their Times. Donald I. Fine, Inc. p. 141. ISBN978-1556110993.
^The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music; Composers and Their Music (Piantadosi is in Vol. 2 of 2), by William H. Rehrig & Paul E. Bierley (eds.), Westerville, Ohio: Integrity Press (1991); OCLC24606813 (1996); OCLC24606813
^"Poetics Of The Frugal Housewife: A Modernist Narrative Of The Great War and America," Mark Van Wienen, American Literary History, Vol. 7, No. 1, Spring, 1995, pps. 55–91; (retrieved February 22, 2016, via JSTOR (www.jstor.org/stable/489798)
