Buddy DeSylva | |
|---|---|
%2c_Lew_Brown_(1893%25E2%2580%25931958)%2c_and_Ray_Henderson_(1895%25E2%2580%25931970).png) DeSylva (left) with Lew Brown and Ray Henderson | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | George Gard DeSylva |
| Also known as | Buddy De Sylva, Buddy DeSylva, Bud De Sylva, Buddy G. DeSylva, B.G. DeSylva |
| Born | (1895-01-27)January 27, 1895 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 1950(1950-07-11) (aged 55) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter,film producer,record executive |
| Formerly of | Lew Brown,Ray Henderson |
George Gard "Buddy"DeSylva (January 27, 1895 – July 11, 1950)[1] was an Americansongwriter,film producer andrecord executive. He wrote or co-wrote many popular songs, and along withJohnny Mercer andGlenn Wallichs, he co-foundedCapitol Records.
DeSylva was born inNew York City,[1] but grew up inCalifornia,[1] and attended theUniversity of Southern California, where he joined theTheta Xi fraternity.
HisPortuguese-born father, Aloysius J. De Sylva, was better known to American audiences as actor Hal De Forrest.[2] His father was also a lawyer as well as an actor.[3] His mother, Georgetta Miles Gard, was the daughter ofLos Angelespolice chiefGeorge E. Gard.
DeSylva's first successful songs were those used byAl Jolson onBroadway in the 1918 production ofSinbad, which included "I'll Say She Does". Soon thereafter, he met Jolson and in 1918 the pair went to New York and DeSylva began working as a songwriter inTin Pan Alley.[1]
In the early 1920s, DeSylva frequently worked with composerGeorge Gershwin.[4] Together, they created theexperimentalone-actjazzoperaBlue Monday set inHarlem, which is widely regarded as a forerunner toPorgy and Bess ten years later.[citation needed]
In April 1924, DeSylva married Marie Wallace, aZiegfeld Follies dancer.[citation needed]
In 1925, DeSylva became one third of the songwriting team with lyricistLew Brown and composerRay Henderson, one of the topTin Pan Alleysongwriters of the era.[5] The team was responsible for the song "Magnolia" (1927) which was popularized byLou Gold's orchestra.[6] The writing and publishing partnership continued until 1930, producing a string ofhits and the perennialBroadway favoriteGood News.[7]
DeSylva joinedASCAP in 1920 and served on the ASCAPboard of directors between 1922 and 1930. He became a producer ofstage andscreen musicals.[1] DeSylva relocated toHollywood and was contracted toFox Studios.[1]
During this tenure, he produced movies such asThe Little Colonel,The Littlest Rebel,Captain January,Poor Little Rich Girl andStowaway.[1] In 1941, he became theExecutive Producer atParamount Pictures, a position he would hold until 1944. At Paramount, he was also an uncredited executive producer forDouble Indemnity,For Whom the Bell Tolls,The Story of Dr. Wassell andThe Glass Key.Betty Hutton always credited DeSylva for bringing her to Hollywood and launching her film career.[8]
The Paramount all-star extravaganzaStar Spangled Rhythm, which takes place at the Paramount film studio in Hollywood, features a fictionalmovie executive named "B.G. DeSoto" (played byWalter Abel) who is aparody of DeSylva.
In 1942,Johnny Mercer,Glenn Wallichs and DeSylva together foundedCapitol Records.[1] He also founded theCowboy label.
He is sometimes credited as: Buddy De Sylva, Buddy DeSylva, Bud De Sylva, Buddy G. DeSylva and B.G. DeSylva.
Buddy DeSylva died in Hollywood, aged 55, and is buried atGlendale'sForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
The 1956Hollywood filmThe Best Things in Life Are Free, starringGordon MacRae, Dan Dailey, andErnest Borgnine, depicted the De Sylva, Brown and Henderson collaboration.[10]
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