Ford Dabney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ford Dabney
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Sheet music cover
Photo of Bert Williams with drawing of Japanese lanterns Jerome H. Remick & Co., publisher (1919) |
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| Born |
Ford Thompson Dabney
March 15, 1883 |
| Died | June 6, 1958 (aged 75) |
| Alma mater | Washington, D.C.
M Street High School (1900–1902)
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| Spouse(s) |
Martha J. Davis (maiden; 1877–1961), married March 14, 1912, Washington, D.C. – she was the widow of boxer Joe Gans
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| Parent(s) |
John Wesley Dabney (1851–1924)
Rebecca C. Ford (maiden; 1854–1896)
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| Musical career | |
| Occupation(s) |
Theater owner (film house and vaudeville), theater orchestra leader, bandleader, ragtime pianist, composer, arranger
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| Years active | 1903–1944 |
| Labels | Paramount, Aeolian Vocalion, Belvedere, Puritan |
| Associated acts |
James Reese Europe, Vernon and Irene Castle, Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestra, Florenz Ziegfeld Jr.
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Ford Thompson Dabney (born March 15, 1883 – died June 6, 1958) was an American ragtime pianist, composer, and songwriter. He was also a famous director of bands and orchestras. Dabney worked on Broadway musical shows, revues, and vaudeville acts. He also made early recordings. For two years, from 1910 to 1912, he owned a theater in Washington, D.C. This theater showed vaudeville, musical revues, and silent films.
Dabney is best known for writing the song "That's Why They Call Me Shine" in 1910. This song became a popular jazz tune for many years. By 2020, "Shine" had been recorded 646 times in the jazz world!
Dabney and his friend James Reese Europe (1880–1919) were important figures in the early days of jazz music. Their music helped jazz grow from ragtime and blues into styles like stride and boogie-woogie. Their song "Castle Walk" from 1914 is one of the earliest jazz recordings. It was recorded by Europe's Society Orchestra with Dabney playing the piano.
Ford Dabney's Musical Journey
Early Life and Learning
Ford Dabney went to M Street High School in Washington, D.C.. This was a school for African American students. He studied business there from ninth to eleventh grade. James Reese Europe, another famous musician, also went to this school. After high school, Dabney attended Armstrong Manual Training School.
Dabney also learned music at home. His father, John Wendell Dabney, taught him first. Then, his uncle, Wendell Phillips Dabney, gave him lessons. He also studied with other private music teachers in Washington, D.C. Dabney sang in his church choir at St. Mary's Protestant Episcopal Chapel.
Moving to New York
Around 1901, Dabney moved from Washington, D.C., to New York City. He played piano for many important social events. He often met with James Reese Europe at the Marshall Hotel. This hotel was a popular spot for creative African American New Yorkers. The Clef Club, a group founded by Europe and Dabney for black musicians, was also nearby.
Playing for a President
In 1904, Dabney got a special job. He sailed to Haiti to be the pianist for the president, Pierre Nord Alexis. He stayed there for four months. His trip was supposed to include playing for the president of France and then going to Germany. His time in Haiti was extended until 1907.
Dabney's Theater in Washington, D.C.
From 1910 to 1911, Dabney owned his own theater called "Ford Dabney's Theater." It was in Washington, D.C. The theater showed "refined vaudeville and motion pictures."
Dabney also created touring vaudeville groups. One famous group was "Dabney's Ginger Girls." They were a singing and dancing duo: Lottie Gee and Effie King. They performed at his theater and then traveled around.
In 1909, Dabney started writing and publishing his own songs. These included "Oh! You Devil," "That Minor Strain," "Haytian Rag," and "Shine."
Working with Famous Artists
In the 1910s, Dabney began working with James Reese Europe at the Clef Club. They also teamed up with Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. for his famous shows in New York City. These shows were often at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Europe and Dabney wrote music for the famous dance team, Vernon and Irene Castle.
Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestra
In 1917, Ford Dabney's Syncopated Orchestra started recording jazz music. They recorded five songs for Aeolian Vocalion. One song, "At the Darkdown Strutter's Ball," featured a singer named Arthur Fields. This was special because Dabney's orchestra was black, and Fields was white. It was an early example of black and white musicians recording together.
Dabney's Syncopated Orchestra was the first black orchestra to play regularly in a Broadway theater. They were the musical directors for Ziegfeld's Midnight Frolic for eight years, from 1913 to 1921. In the summers, they also performed in Atlantic City.
Musicians in Dabney's Orchestra
Many talented musicians played in Ford Dabney's orchestra over the years.
- 1917
- Crickett Smith (trumpet)
- Nappy Lee (tuba, euphonium)
- Edgar Campbell (clarinet)
- Alonzo Williams (alto sax)
- John Haywood (tuba, violin)
- Dennis Johnson (drums)
- Allie Ross (violin)
- Bernard "Buttercup" Parker (violin)
- J. Nimrod Jones (violin)
- Arthur Fields (vocalist)
- 1922
- Arthur Fields (vocalist)
- Pike Davis (trumpet)
- Wesley Johnson (trumpet)
- John Reeves (trombone)
- Herschel Brassfield (clarinet, alto sax)
- Tracy F. Cooper (violin)
- Willie Carroll (violin)
- Mose Ross (drums)
Sad Losses: Vernon Castle and James Reese Europe
In 1917, Vernon Castle, who Dabney and Europe worked with, died. He joined the Royal Flying Corps to fight in World War I. He was killed in a flight training accident.
In 1919, James Reese Europe also passed away. He was a war hero who led the 369th Infantry Regiment Band, known as the "Harlem Hellfighters" in World War I. After returning home, Europe was performing in Boston. During a break, he had an argument with a drummer, Herbert B. Wright. Wright struck Europe with a pen knife. The wound seemed small at first, but it became fatal a few hours later.
After Europe's death, Dabney continued to lead his own bands. However, these efforts were not as successful, and he lost his theater job on Broadway in 1921.
Later Years and Legacy
Even after losing his Broadway job, Dabney kept working in New York. He continued composing music for three more decades. He wrote all the music for the 1927 show Rang Tang. He also worked on music for films like Social Register (1934) and Stormy Weather (1943).
Dabney was good friends with the family of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Dabney died on June 6, 1958, in Manhattan.
Dabney's Family
Parents and Early Life
Ford Thompson Dabney's parents were John Wesley Dabney (1851–1924) and Rebecca C. Ford (1854–1896). His father, John Wesley Dabney, was a musician and a very skilled barber. He even cut hair for presidents like William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt! John Wesley Dabney was also a captain in a special African-American military group in Washington, D.C.
Wife and Son
On March 14, 1912, Dabney married Martha D. Gans in Washington. Martha was the widow of the famous boxer Joe Gans. Joe Gans was known as one of the greatest lightweight boxers of all time. Ford and Martha had a son named Ford Thompson Dabney, Jr. (1917–1983), who grew up to become an accountant.
Influential Relatives
Dabney's uncle, Wendell Phillips Dabney, was one of his music teachers. This uncle later became the first president of the NAACP chapter in Cincinnati. He was also a writer and newspaper editor. He even met the famous composer Antonín Dvořák!
Another great-uncle, John Marshall Dabney (1824–1900), was a well-known caterer and bartender in Virginia. He was famous for making the best mint juleps. His life story was even made into a documentary film!
Images for kids
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1898
Ruby H. Dabney, Ford Dabney's step-aunt, who was the first African American woman in Washington, D.C., to earn a college diploma in embalming. -
March 1906
Location of J.W. Dabney's barber shop
at Welcker's Hotel – second building on the right, looking north from New York Avenue
721 15th St, N.W.
