Name Andy Razaf | Role Poet | |
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Birth name Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo Born December 16, 1895
Washington, D.C., U.S. ( 1895-12-16 ) Occupation(s) Poet, composer, and lyricist Died February 3, 1973, Hollywood, California, United States Nominations Tony Award for Best Original Score, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Similar People Harry Brooks, Fats Waller, Joe Garland, Eubie Blake, Chick Webb | ||
Bucovina brass orchestra b b o performing in the mood joe garland andy razaf
Andy Razaf (December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an African-American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose".
Contents
- Bucovina brass orchestra b b o performing in the mood joe garland andy razaf
- Born dec 15 1895 andy razaf louisiana
- Biography
- Death
- Songs
- Recordings
- Poems
- References
Born dec 15 1895 andy razaf louisiana
Biography
Razaf was born in Washington, D.C. His birth name was Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo. He was the son of Henri Razafinkarefo, nephew of Queen Ranavalona III of Imerina kingdom in Madagascar, and Jennie (Waller) Razafinkarefo, the daughter of John L. Waller, the first African American consul to Imerina. The French invasion of Madagascar left his father dead, and forced his pregnant 15-year-old mother to escape to the United States, where he was born in 1895.
He was raised in Harlem, Manhattan, and at the age of 16 he quit school and took a job as an elevator operator at a Tin Pan Alley office building. A year later he penned his first song text, embarking on his career as a lyricist. During this time he would spend many nights in the Greyhound Lines bus station in Times Square and would pick up his mail at the Gaiety Theatre office building which was considered the black Tin Pan Alley.
Some of Razaf's early poems were published in 1917–18 in the Hubert Harrison-edited Voice, the first newspaper of the "New Negro Movement". Razaf collaborated with composers Eubie Blake, Don Redman, James P. Johnson, Harry Brooks, and Fats Waller. Among the best-known Razaf-Waller collaborations are "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Honeysuckle Rose", "The Joint Is Jumpin'", "Willow Tree", "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue". His music was played by other Tin Pan Alley musicians, as well as Benny Goodman, Eubie Blake, Cab Calloway and many others. He was a contributor and editor of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League's Negro World newspaper.
He also wrote quite a number of raunchy 'character' blues-type songs for many of the women blues singers of the 1920s. He also made a number of records as vocalist (both as solo and as vocalist for jazz groups, including a handful by James P. Johnson and Fletcher Henderson).
In 1972, Razaf was recognized by his Tin Pan Alley peers in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Death
Razaf died in North Hollywood, California from cancer, aged 77.
Songs
The Songwriters Hall of Fame entry on Andy Razaf lists 215 compositions, giving co-writers and publishers. He had many unpublished songs; Singer's biography lists more than 800, published and unpublished (but without giving lyrics). Some notable lyrics include:
Recordings
Although Razaf's songs are found on hundreds of recordings, there are only two albums devoted exclusively to his compositions: