Popular Music

Cooper, George

Date of Birth: 
May 14, 1840
Date of Death: 
September 26, 1927

George Cooper was an American poet, lyricist, and composer. 

Farewell My Lilly Dear

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1853

WARNING: This is a blackface minstrel song, a genre that features demeaning caricatures rooted in racism and white supremacy.

“Farewell My Lilly Dear,” arranged for guitar accompaniment, was submitted for copyright deposit on August 26, 1853.

The song also appears in “Old Folks Quadrilles.”

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family: 

Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)

Date of Birth: 
July 4, 1826
Date of Death: 
January 13, 1864

Stephen Foster (b. July 4, 1826, Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania; d. January 13, 1864, New York) was one of the first American songwriters to earn a living through composition alone. Many of his songs, most of which were for the parlor or minstrel stage, achieved great popularity during his lifetime and continue to be popular today. His songs depicting African Americans, however, have been controversial since they were written.

Frontis Burbank Wiggins’ Collection of Bing Crosby Materials

Frontis Burbank (Wig) Wiggins Jr. (1929–2019) was an internationally recognized expert on American popular singer, radio host, and actor Bing Crosby (1903–1977). He served for decades as the American Representative for the International Club Crosby, a Bing Crosby fan club. In his role with the Club, he developed enduring friendships with Bing enthusiasts all over the world, trading rare recordings and documenting and preserving Crosby’s musical legacy.

Joe Negri Collection

Joe Negri (b. 1926) is a Pittsburgh-based jazz guitarist. He joined the Shep Fields Orchestra at the age of sixteen. After two years in the military, he returned to Pittsburgh and studied music at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Mellon University). He performed regularly around the region and played in the band for the KDKA variety show “Buzz and Bill.” In 1960 he became music director at WTAE.

Linger in Blissful Repose

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1858

“Linger in Blissful Repose” was deposited for copyright on July 13, 1858. The placement of Foster’s lyrics for the song in his sketchbook of lyrics suggests he wrote the lyrics around this time. But the melody was older. He included it as “Irene” in The Social Orchestra. 

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family:

Pace, Charles H. (Henry)

Date of Birth: 
1886
Date of Death: 
1983

Charles Henry Pace was a Black gospel composer and publisher. 

Ring, Ring de Banjo!

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1851

WARNING: This is a blackface minstrel song, a genre that features demeaning caricatures rooted in racism and white supremacy.

“Ring, Ring de Banjo!” was entered for copyright on April 21, 1851, and deposited on April 29, 1851. 

Santa Anna’s Retreat from Buena Vista

Artist (Composed By): 
Foster, Stephen C. (Collins)
1848

W. C. Peters of Louisville submitted “Santa Anna’s Retreat from Buena Vista” on December 30, 1848. It appears the song had already been published because it was advertised for sale in the Louisville Daily Dispatch on August 8, 1848.

According to Evelyn Foster Mornweck’s The Chronicles of Stephen Foster’s Family: 

Stephen Foster Collection

Stephen C. (Collins) Foster (1826–1864) was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, outside of Pittsburgh. He wrote songs in his youth to perform in amateur blackface minstrel shows and in parlors with his friends. After the immense success of “Oh! Susanna” and “Uncle Ned,” in 1849 Foster signed contracts with music publishers and embarked on a career as a songwriter.

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