Charles Kassel Harris (May 1, 1867 – December 22, 1930) was a well regarded American songwriter of popular music. During his long career, he advanced the relatively new genre, publishing more than 300 songs, often deemed by admirers as the "king of the

tear jerkers A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

". He is one of the early pioneers of Tin Pan Alley.

Biography

Harris was born in Poughkeepsie,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

into a family of ten children. His father was a fur trader and moved the family to Saginaw, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he grew up. From his early fascination with the

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

, he wrote his first song "Since Maggie Learned To Skate" for the play ''

The Skating Rink ''The Skating Rink'' (''La Pista de Hielo'' in Spanish) is a novel by the Chilean author Roberto Bolaño. A translation from the Spanish by Chris Andrews was published by New Directions in August, 2009. David Sawer adapted it as an opera by th ...

'' by Nat Goodwin in 1885. In 1892, Harris wrote " After the Ball", a song about an old man recounting the story of his long-lost love to his niece. He caught the attention of John Philip Sousa, who played the tune at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, boosting sheet music sales to in excess of five million copies in the 1890s. His next hit " Break the News to Mother", about a dying soldier, coincided with the Spanish–American War in 1897 and furthered his popularity. It was also a hit during 1917 and 1918, with recordings by the Shannon Four and Henry Burr. In 1899, he drew upon his own experiences as a Jew to compose "A Rabbi's Daughter".Jack Gottlieb, ''Funny, It Doesn't Sound Jewish'', SUNY Press, 2012 Harris's sentimental songs were introduced on stages and music halls, but they found ready acceptance among folkloric string bands of the South. Both "Fallen By the Wayside"' and "There’ll Come a Time" were recorded by

Charlie Poole Charles Cleveland Poole (March 22, 1892 – May 21, 1931) was an American musician, singer and banjo player, as well as the leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, which was a string band that recorded many popular songs between 1925 and 1930. ...

and the North Carolina Ramblers, and both "Mid the Green Fields of Virginia" and his extremely popular song from 1901, "

Hello Central, Give Me Heaven Hello Central, Give Me Heaven is a popular Tin Pan Alley song first published in 1901, with lyrics and music by Charles K. Harris, and was among Harris's most popular songs. It was first recorded by Byron G. Harlan and released in July 1901. The ...

", were recorded by The Carter Family. Later, Harris began writing songs for musicals, working with

Oscar Hammerstein Oscar Hammerstein may refer to: *Oscar Hammerstein I (1846–1919), cigar manufacturer, opera impresario and theatre builder *Oscar Hammerstein II Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) w ...

. His plays ''The Scarlet Sisters'' and ''What's The Matter With Julius'' had moderate success.

Books

In 1906 Harris also penned and self-published the book ''How to Write a Popular Song''. In 1926, Harris published his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

bearing the title, ''After the Ball''. According to '' The New York Times Book Review'', the book generated a " of letters from amateur musicians expressing their high regard for his work."

Death

He died in New York City in 1930.

References

External links

Rather Comprehensive Biography

Chas. K. Harris recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Charles K. 1867 births 1930 deaths American male composers American composers Jewish American songwriters Songwriters from New York (state) Musicians from Poughkeepsie, New York Musicians from Milwaukee Songwriters from Wisconsin Burials at Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) American male songwriters