Cecil Mack facts for kids
Cecil Mack (born November 6, 1873 – died August 1, 1944) was an American musician. He was a talented composer, lyricist, and music publisher. He helped create many popular songs.
The Life of Cecil Mack
Cecil Mack was born Richard Cecil McPherson in Portsmouth, Virginia. He went to college at Norfolk Mission College and Lincoln University. After college, he moved to New York City. There, he worked as a stenographer, which is someone who writes down speech using shorthand.
In 1901, Cecil Mack started writing song lyrics. His first song was "Good Morning, Carrie." In May 1905, he helped start the Gotham-Attucks Music Publishing Company in New York City. This company was probably the first music publishing company owned by Black people. He was the company's secretary and business director.
Mack also wrote lyrics for musicals. These included The Black Politician in 1907 and Mooching Along in 1925. In 1925, he also started a singing group called the Southland Singers. Later, in 1931, he helped write music for the musical Rhapsody in Black.
His Family Life
On April 8, 1912, Cecil Mack married Dr. Gertrude Curtis in Manhattan. She was a pioneering African-American dentist who worked in Harlem. They stayed married until his death. They did not have any children.
His Passing
Cecil Mack passed away in Manhattan when he was 70 years old. A newspaper, The New York Age, shared a tribute to him. It said that his songs were very American and full of fun. They were popular during a time when people bought sheet music from stores. His music was known for being cheerful and clean.
Famous Songs by Cecil Mack
Here are some of the well-known songs Cecil Mack wrote lyrics for:
- "Good Morning, Carrie" (1901, he also helped write the music)
- "Please Go Away and Let Me Sleep" (1902)
- "He's a Cousin of Mine" (1902)
- "The Little Gypsy Maid" (1904 or before)
- "Zongo, My Congo Queen" (1904 or before)
- "Teasing" (1904)
- "All in down and out" (1906)
- "You're In the Right Church (But the Wrong Pew)" (1908, he also helped write the music)
- "I'm Miss Hanna from Savannah" (between 1908 and 1910)
- "That's Why They Call Me Shine" (1910)
- "Way Down East" (1911)
- "Someone's Waiting Down in Tennessee" (1912, he also helped write the music)
- "Charleston" (1923, he also helped write the music)
- "Old Fashioned Love" (1923, he also helped write the music for the show Runnin' Wild)
