Born: Jan. 23, 1887, Joplin, MO Died: March 17, 1952, New York, N.Y.
Overview
Percy a great vaudevillian-composer. He, and his wife Dolly Connolly
performed on vaudeville stages for fifteen years while Percy continued
to compose songs.
Wenrich, the son of a postmaster, came from a musical family. His mother taught him to play the organ and the piano while he was still a child. A little later, he would write melodies and his father would write the lyrics. Often, his songs were heard at conventions and politcal rallies. When he was 21 years old, he enrolled in the Chicago Music College, and while there had two of his songs published by a Chicago publisher. Both song titles, "Ashy Africa" and "Just Because I'm From Missouri" were suggested by one of the partners, Frank Buck, who later found fame as a Hollywood producer of African adventure and travel films.
After graduation, he found work in a Milwaukee store as a music demonstrator. While there, he published another tune called "Under a Tropical Moon", with lyric by C. R. MacDonald. A little later, her settled in New York City.
Brief Chronology
1908 "Rainbow", lyric by Alfred Bryan.
"Up in a Balloon", lyric by Ren Shields.
Among his biggest hits were:
1909 "Put On Your Old Gray Bonnet", lyric Stanley Murphy
1912 "Moonlight Bay", lyric by Edward Madden
1914 "When You Wore A Tulip", lyric by Jack Mahoney.
1914 Scored the Broadway show 'Crinoline Girl'.
1921 Scored the Broadway show 'The Right Girl'.
1926 Scored the Broadway show 'Castles in the Air'.
1930 Scored the Broadway show 'Who Cares?'.
Among the many others songs he wrote with varying success are;
"Silver Bell", lyric by Madden
"She Took Mother's Advice", lyric by Murphy
"Sweet Cider Time", lyric by Joseph McCarthy
"Where Do We Go From Here", lyric by Howard Johnson.
(A WW1 tune about the draft.)
Richard A. Reublin Musical Reminiscences - History of Percy Wenrich at http://www.parlorsongs.com