Dan Emmett facts for kids
Daniel Decatur Emmett (October 29, 1815 – June 28, 1904) was an American composer and entertainer. He helped start the first group of performers in the minstrel show tradition, called the Virginia Minstrels. He is best known for writing the famous song "Dixie."
Quick facts for kids
Dan Emmett
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Birth name | Daniel Decatur Emmett |
| Born | October 29, 1815 Mount Vernon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | June 28, 1904 (aged 88) Mount Vernon, Ohio, U.S. |
| Allegiance |  USA |
| Service/ |
United States Army |
| Years of service | 1834–1835 |
| Awards | Songwriters Hall of Fame (1970) |
| Spouse(s) |
Catharine Rives
(m. 1853; Mary Bird
(m. 1879) |
| Other work | Songwriter |
Contents
Early Life and Family
Dan Emmett was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, a frontier area at the time. His grandfather, John Emmett, fought in the American Revolutionary War. He later became a minister and served in the Ohio government. Dan's father, Abraham Emmett, fought in the War of 1812.
Even though his grandfather was a public figure, Dan didn't have much formal schooling. He learned many popular songs from his mother, who was musical. He also taught himself to play the fiddle.
When he was 13, Emmett began working for a printer. In 1836, at age 21, he joined the United States Army. He became very skilled at playing the fife and drum.
Emmett was a Catholic. He married Catharine Rives in 1853 in New York City. They were together until she passed away in 1875. Four years later, Emmett married Mary Bird in Chicago. Dan Emmett did not have any children.
His Career as an Entertainer
After leaving the army in 1835, Emmett joined a circus in Cincinnati. From 1840 to 1842, he traveled with other circuses. He performed as a banjo player and singer, often in "blackface."
In 1843, Emmett helped create the Virginia Minstrels. This group first performed for an audience in New York City. They are important because they were one of the first groups to perform an entire show in blackface.
Blackface was a type of performance where white performers painted their faces and hands black. They would then act out exaggerated characters of African Americans. This style of entertainment was very popular at the time. However, today, blackface is seen as offensive because it used harmful stereotypes.
The Song "Dixie"
Dan Emmett is usually given credit for writing the song "Dixie." He first performed it with Bryant's Minstrels in New York City in 1859. The song quickly became very popular, especially in the Southern United States. It became the song Emmett was most famous for.
Emmett reportedly said he wished he hadn't written the song. This was because people in the South started using it as a rallying song during the American Civil War. After the war began, Emmett wrote a fife-and-drum guide for the Union Army.
President Abraham Lincoln really liked "Dixie." After the war ended in 1865, he said he thought it was "one of the best tunes I ever heard." He even joked that the Union Army had "captured" the song.
Other people also claimed to have written "Dixie." These included a writer named William Shakespeare Hays. Members of the Snowden Family, who were free slaves known to Emmett, were also named as possible writers of the song.
Later Life and Recognition
After a successful tour, Dan Emmett retired in 1888 to his hometown of Mount Vernon, Ohio. He passed away there on June 28, 1904, at 88 years old. For the last years of his life, he received help from the Actors Fund of America.
In 1970, Emmett was added to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. A movie about his life, called Dixie, was made in 1943. It was a musical film starring Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.
Many places in Mount Vernon, Ohio, are named after Emmett. There is also a large stone memorial with a plaque in front of the Knox County Historical Museum.
Emmett wrote at least 30 songs between 1843 and 1865. Most of these were banjo tunes. He also composed 25 more songs between 1859 and 1869.
See also
- Minstrel show
- Polly Wolly Doodle
- The Boatman's Dance
- Dixie
- Old Dan Tucker
