Donald Yetter Gardner (August 20, 1913 – September 15, 2004) was an American

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

who is best known for writing the classic Christmas novelty song "

All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" is a novelty Christmas song written in 1944 by Donald Yetter Gardner""Donald Yetter Gardner, 91, Songwriter". ''The New York Times''. September 22, 2004. p. B-8.Oliver, Myrna (September 26, 2004)"D ...

". Gardner wrote the song in 1944 while teaching music at public schools in Smithtown,

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 * '' ...

. He asked the class what they wanted for

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

, and noticed that almost all of them had at least one front tooth missing as they answered in a lisp. Gardner wrote the song in 30 minutes. In a 1995 interview, Gardner said, "I was amazed at the way that silly little song was picked up by the whole country.""Donald Yetter Gardner, 91, Songwriter". ''The New York Times''. September 22, 2004. p. B-8.Oliver, Myrna (September 26, 2004)
"Donald Gardner, 91; Wrote the Popular 'Two Front Teeth' Christmas Tune"
''Los Angeles Times''. The song was published in 1948 after an employee of

Witmark Witmark was a catalog showroom and jewelry/electronics chain that operated in West Michigan from 1969 to 1997. The chain was founded by Paul Leven. Over its nearly 30-year history, Witmark dominated the jewelry market with an average of a 3 ...

music company heard Gardner sing it at a music teachers' conference. The song was introduced in 1948 by singing group The Satisfiers on

Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...

's radio show,"Angels We Have Heard: The Christmas Song Stories". ''James Richliano''. 2002. and originally recorded for

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

by Spike Jones and His City Slickers on December 6, 1947, with lead vocal by

George Rock George Rock (October 11, 1919 – April 12, 1988) was a trumpet player and singer with various bands before starring with Spike Jones and His City Slickers. A man of large physical stature, Rock attended Illinois Wesleyan University in Blo ...

. The record reached the top of the pop charts in 1948, and again in 1949.The song was also recorded by numerous other singers and performers, including

George Strait George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, and music producer. Strait is considered one of the most influential and popular recording artists of all time. In the 1980s, he was credited for ...

The Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The a ...

The Andrews Sisters The Andrews Sisters were an American close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews (July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967), soprano Maxene Anglyn Andrews (January ...

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

, and the cast of ''

Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000 ...

.'' Gardner later became a music consultant for a major music publisher in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, Ginn & Company, wrote songs for music textbooks, and composed numerous

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...

s. His published hymns include "Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone but by Every Word of God" and "Oh, Give Thanks Unto the Lord." He died at age 91 from complications after falling at his home in

Needham, Massachusetts Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 at the 2020 U.S. Census. It is home of Olin College. History Early settlement Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a ...

, outside of Boston.Ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Donald Yetter 2004 deaths 1913 births Singers from Pennsylvania Accidental deaths from falls Songwriters from Pennsylvania West Chester University alumni Accidental deaths in Massachusetts People from Northampton County, Pennsylvania 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers American male songwriters