Willis J. Accooe (1874 – April 26, 1904) was an American performing musician and composer, mainly of musicals.[1][2] He was "an important songwriter during the birth of the black musical" according to the Library of Congress website.[2]
Accooe was musical director for John William Isham's Octoroons, a popular quasi-minstrel troupe,[2] and was musical director for productions with Bert Williams. With Bob Cole and Billy Johnson he produced A Trip to Coontown in 1898, "the first New York musical written, produced, and performed by black artists". He wrote songs for the show and was its musical director.[2] In addition to his other theatrical work, he also worked on Broadway musicals for white audiences, including The Belle of Bridgeport (1900), The Liberty Belles (1901), The Casino Girl (1900–1901).[1][5]
He co-wrote a musical with Will Marion Cook entitled The Cannibal King (1901), but it was never produced.[2] He was a co-composer for Harry B. Smith's musical comedy, The Liberty Belles, which was produced in 1901.[6] He composed some of the music for the musical comedy Sons of Ham. During a 1903 production of the show by Avery and Hart (Dan Avery and Charles Hart), Accooe was the orchestra's conductor.[7]
He wrote the comic opera The Volunteers in 1903, but fell ill and production was halted.[3]
Accooee wrote his own funeral oration shortly before his death. He died at age 30 on April 26, 1904, in Brooklyn, New York.[4][8]