Bob Ricketts facts for kids

Robert Williams Ricketts (born March 15, 1885, in Springfield, Ohio – died November 25, 1936, in New York City) was a talented American musician. He was also a composer, someone who writes songs, a lyricist, who writes the words for songs, a bandleader, who leads a music group, and a music publisher. People often called him Bob Ricketts. He worked closely with another musician and songwriter named Porter Grainger. Together, they created many musical works.

Bob Ricketts's Music Career

In 1918, Bob Ricketts lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There, he led the pit band at the Standard Theater. A pit band plays music for shows, often from a lowered area in front of the stage.

Working with Porter Grainger

When Ricketts moved to New York City, he teamed up with Porter Grainger. They wrote many songs together. They also started a music publishing company called the Rainbow Music Company. A famous composer named Irving Berlin helped them financially.

In 1924, a newspaper called the Pittsburgh Courier reported on their work. Ricketts and Grainger wrote "twenty-two musical numbers" for a show. This show was called Honey. The story for the show was written by famous performers Flournoy E. Miller and Aubrey Lyles.

Leading Bands and Tours

In 1922, Ricketts led a ten-piece orchestra for a show called Dumb Luck. The famous singer Ethel Waters was in this show. The show toured around New England, starting in Stamford, Connecticut. However, two weeks later, the cast of one hundred people got stuck in Worcester, Massachusetts. They had no money to continue.

Luckily, the producers of another show, Shuffle Along, helped them. Noble Sissle and his wife raised $700. This money allowed the cast to return to New York.

In 1923, "Bob Rickett's Band" made recordings with blues singer Viola McCoy. The band included Ricketts on piano, Buddy Christian or Elmer Snowden on banjo, Ernest Elliot on clarinet, Tom Morris on cornet, Charlie Irvis on trombone, and Bob Fuller on alto saxophone. Ricketts also led a group called "Rickett's Stars". They appeared on recordings with other blues singers like Gladys Bryant, Esther Bigeou, and Kitty Brown.

Arranging Music and Teaching Blues

Ricketts was also known for arranging songs. This means he took a song and decided which instruments would play which parts. He worked on music by artists like Jimmy Durante, J. Tim Brymn, and Chris Smith. Ricketts also created arrangements for bands led by Fletcher Henderson, among others.

In 1926, Ricketts and Grainger wrote a helpful guide. It was called How to Play and Sing the Blues Like the Phonograph and Stage Artists. They described it as a guide that explains different types of blues music. This included "WEARY BLUES," "JAZZ BLUES," and "NEGRO SPIRITUALS." It also taught about "BREAKS" for the piano.

The pamphlet gave useful advice for singers. It said that you could make "Blues" sounds on any instrument. But sounds like "wailings, moanings, and croonings" were easier on instruments like the saxophone, trombone, or violin. They believed that without these sounds, a blues song wasn't sung correctly.

Movie Work

In March 1929, Columbia Pictures hired Grainger and Ricketts. They were asked to write the script and music for a motion picture. The movie was called Jailhouse Blues. It was a musical short film starring Mamie Smith.

Notable Songs by Robert Ricketts

All the songs listed below were written with Porter Grainger, unless noted otherwise.

• Honey (1924)
• No One Ever Let Me In on Nothin' (1923)
• Hula (1924)
• Four-Flushing Papa (1924)
• I've Opened My Heart (1923)
• Triflin' Blues (1923)
• Laughin', Cryin' Blues (1923)
• I'm Every Man's Mama (1924)
• Tired Of Waitin' Blues (1924) (recorded by Viola McCoy)
• Papa Don't Ask Mama Where She Was ('Cause She Don't Want To Lie To You) (1924)
• Mistreatin' Daddy (1923) (recorded by Bessie Smith and Mamie Smith)
• Louisville Blues (1925) (with Mike Jackson)
• Ramblin' Until I Find My Lovin' Man (1924) (with Spencer Williams)
• I'm Gonna Get You (1923) (recorded by Mamie Smith)
• Charleston Crazy (1925) (recorded by Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra)
• If You Want To Keep Your Daddy Home (1923) (with Porter Grainger and Ernest Paisley)
• My Mammy's Blues (1923) (recorded by Mamie Smith)
• I Don't Love Nobody (1923) (recorded by Clara Smith)