John Walter Bratton (January 21, 1867 – February 7, 1947) was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and theatrical producer who became popular during the era known as the Gay Nineties.
Raised by his grandmother, Mary Bratton, in New Castle, Delaware, near Wilmington,[2] John Walter Bratton (sometimes spelled Bratten) was the son of John F. and Emma Bratton, of whom little is known. He was educated at the Harkness Academy in Wilmington and later attended the Philadelphia College of Music before embarking on a career as a baritone singer.[3]
Careeredit
John Bratton's career soon moved from performer to composer and producer. He began in the chorus of a show called Ship Ahoy for $18 a week and not before too long was selling songs written with his friend, lyricists Walter H. Ford, for as little as $10 a title. Over the years Bratton would collaborate on over 250 songs with Ford and Paul West.[4][5] One of their earlier tunes was a tribute to veterans of the Spanish–American War called "Hats off to the Boys Who Made Good", that years later Bratton conceded was "terrible".[5] Today he is remembered for his composition Op103, dating from 1907, "Teddy Bears' Picnic",[4] the only one of his songs to be a lasting hit. Although most of his compositions had lyrics, he left "Teddy Bears' Picnic" as an instrumental. Perhaps because it sold so well as sheet music he felt little need to do anything else with it; during the silent film era it was used as background music for a number of popular movies. Many years later, British-based but Irish-born Jimmy Kennedy wrote the lyrics. This explains why an American composition contains the British term "Mummies and Daddies" rather than "Mommies and Daddies", though the latter does crop up from time to time in copies printed in the former colony.[6]
Tunes Bratton wrote that were popular in their day include "The Sunshine of Paradise Alley" (ca. 1895), "Henrietta, Have You Met Her?" (ca. 1895), "I Love You in the Same Old Way" (ca. 1896), "Isabella" and "In a Cosey Corner" ( ca. 1901). As half of the firm Lefler and Bratton, he produced the musical comedies Hodge Podge and Co. (1900), The Star and the Garter (1900), The Man from China (1904), The Pearl and the Pumpkin (1905) and others.[5][7]
Marriageedit
Bratton married popular Broadway actress Dorothy Zimmerman (1883–1957) on May 21, 1907.[8] Their marriage produced a daughter.
Deathedit
John Walter Bratton died at his Brooklyn home in February 1947, aged 80.[4] He had just completed the song "Time Brings Many Changes" with his partner Leo Edwards, brother of songwriter Gus Edwards. Bratton was survived by his wife Dorothy Bratton (née Zimmerman) and daughter.[5]
His songs were featured in many other musical comedies including The Rainmakers (1894), Star & Garter (1900), The Office Boy (1903), The Toreador (1904), The Rollicking Girl (1905), and The Merry-Go-Round (1908).[4]
Published songsedit
Solo works
"Rose Glenroy" – 1893
"Gayest Manhattan" – 1897
"I Got All I Can Do to Keep My Hands Off You" – 1899
"Rubber Neck Jim" – 1899
"In a Cosey Corner" – 1901
"I Want to Play Hamlet" – 1903
"Come My True Love" – 1905
"The Little Black Man" – 1905
"Spangles" – 1907
"The Jungle Jubilee" – 1910
"Down Red Rose Lane" – 1913
with words by Walter H. Ford
"My Dainty Cigarette" – 1894
"Only Me" – 1894
"She Didn't Do a Thing to Him" – 1894
"Tarry Carrie Till We Marry" – 1894
"Henrietta! Have You Met Her? - 1895
"Honey Does You Love Yer Man? - 1895
"Songs We Hear on the Stage" – 1895
"The Sunshine of Paradise Alley" – 1895
"Because We're Together" – 1896
"Isabelle" – 1896
"It's Sunshiny Weather" – 1896
"She's Been a Mother to Me" – 1896
"Genevieve! - 1897
"Sadie My Lady" – 1897
"Hats Off to the Boys Who Made Good" – 1898
"Dear Old Soul" – 1899
"Mandy From Mandalay" – 1899
"Just a Word For Father" – 1900
"My Little Lady Bug" – 1900
"My Sunbeam From the South" – 1900
"My Sunflower Sue" – 1900
"I Love You in the Same Old Way" – 1906
"Molly McGinnity You're My Affinity" – 1907 (words/music by both)
"Somebody's Been Around Since I've Been Gone" – 1907
with words by Arthur J. Lamb
"Only a Newsboy" – 1897
"The Town at the End of the Line" – 1906
with words by Paul West
"My Little Hong Kong Baby (My Little Cup of Tea)" – 1902
"The Amorous Esquimaux (1902)
"I'm on the Water Wagon Now (1903)
"Good Bye Teddy" – 1904
"Honeymoon Hall" – 1904
"Seeing New York in the Rubber-Neck Hack" – 1904
"Jack O' Lantern Joe" – 1904
"When America Is Captured by the Japs" – 1904
"Ev'ry Baby Is a Sweet Bouquet" – 1906
"My Boy Bill" – 1908
"You'll Always Be Just Sweet Sixteen to Me" – 1908
with words by G.A. Norton
"Two Little Blue Little True Little Eyes" – 1903
with words by Charles H. Taylor
"The Rest of the Week She's Mine" – 1910
Notesedit
^portrait of Dorothy Zimmerman, Vanity Fair October 18 1902 Retrieved September 7, 2016
john, bratton, john, walter, bratton, january, 1867, february, 1947, american, alley, composer, theatrical, producer, became, popular, during, known, nineties, john, walter, brattonborn, 1867, january, 1867new, castle, delaware, diedfebruary, 1947, 1947, aged,. John Walter Bratton January 21 1867 February 7 1947 was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and theatrical producer who became popular during the era known as the Gay Nineties John Walter BrattonBorn 1867 01 21 January 21 1867New Castle Delaware U S DiedFebruary 7 1947 1947 02 07 aged 80 Brooklyn New York U S Occupation s Composer and theatrical producerNotable workTeddy Bears PicnicSpouseDorothy Zimmerman 1907 1947 his death 1 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Marriage 4 Death 5 Musical theater credits 6 Published songs 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksEarly life editRaised by his grandmother Mary Bratton in New Castle Delaware near Wilmington 2 John Walter Bratton sometimes spelled Bratten was the son of John F and Emma Bratton of whom little is known He was educated at the Harkness Academy in Wilmington and later attended the Philadelphia College of Music before embarking on a career as a baritone singer 3 Career editJohn Bratton s career soon moved from performer to composer and producer He began in the chorus of a show called Ship Ahoy for 18 a week and not before too long was selling songs written with his friend lyricists Walter H Ford for as little as 10 a title Over the years Bratton would collaborate on over 250 songs with Ford and Paul West 4 5 One of their earlier tunes was a tribute to veterans of the Spanish American War called Hats off to the Boys Who Made Good that years later Bratton conceded was terrible 5 Today he is remembered for his composition Op103 dating from 1907 Teddy Bears Picnic 4 the only one of his songs to be a lasting hit Although most of his compositions had lyrics he left Teddy Bears Picnic as an instrumental Perhaps because it sold so well as sheet music he felt little need to do anything else with it during the silent film era it was used as background music for a number of popular movies Many years later British based but Irish born Jimmy Kennedy wrote the lyrics This explains why an American composition contains the British term Mummies and Daddies rather than Mommies and Daddies though the latter does crop up from time to time in copies printed in the former colony 6 Tunes Bratton wrote that were popular in their day include The Sunshine of Paradise Alley ca 1895 Henrietta Have You Met Her ca 1895 I Love You in the Same Old Way ca 1896 Isabella and In a Cosey Corner ca 1901 As half of the firm Lefler and Bratton he produced the musical comedies Hodge Podge and Co 1900 The Star and the Garter 1900 The Man from China 1904 The Pearl and the Pumpkin 1905 and others 5 7 Marriage editBratton married popular Broadway actress Dorothy Zimmerman 1883 1957 on May 21 1907 8 Their marriage produced a daughter Death editJohn Walter Bratton died at his Brooklyn home in February 1947 aged 80 4 He had just completed the song Time Brings Many Changes with his partner Leo Edwards brother of songwriter Gus Edwards Bratton was survived by his wife Dorothy Bratton nee Zimmerman and daughter 5 Musical theater credits edit1900 Hodge Podge amp Co 4 1904 The Man from China 4 1905 The Pearl and the Pumpkin 4 1909 The Newlyweds and Their Baby 4 His songs were featured in many other musical comedies including The Rainmakers 1894 Star amp Garter 1900 The Office Boy 1903 The Toreador 1904 The Rollicking Girl 1905 and The Merry Go Round 1908 4 Published songs editSolo works Rose Glenroy 1893 Gayest Manhattan 1897 I Got All I Can Do to Keep My Hands Off You 1899 Rubber Neck Jim 1899 In a Cosey Corner 1901 I Want to Play Hamlet 1903 Come My True Love 1905 The Little Black Man 1905 Spangles 1907 The Jungle Jubilee 1910 Down Red Rose Lane 1913 with words by Walter H Ford My Dainty Cigarette 1894 Only Me 1894 She Didn t Do a Thing to Him 1894 Tarry Carrie Till We Marry 1894 Henrietta Have You Met Her 1895 Honey Does You Love Yer Man 1895 Songs We Hear on the Stage 1895 The Sunshine of Paradise Alley 1895 Because We re Together 1896 Isabelle 1896 It s Sunshiny Weather 1896 She s Been a Mother to Me 1896 Genevieve 1897 Sadie My Lady 1897 Hats Off to the Boys Who Made Good 1898 Dear Old Soul 1899 Mandy From Mandalay 1899 Just a Word For Father 1900 My Little Lady Bug 1900 My Sunbeam From the South 1900 My Sunflower Sue 1900 I Love You in the Same Old Way 1906 Molly McGinnity You re My Affinity 1907 words music by both Somebody s Been Around Since I ve Been Gone 1907 with words by Arthur J Lamb Only a Newsboy 1897 The Town at the End of the Line 1906 with words by Paul West My Little Hong Kong Baby My Little Cup of Tea 1902 The Amorous Esquimaux 1902 I m on the Water Wagon Now 1903 Good Bye Teddy 1904 Honeymoon Hall 1904 Seeing New York in the Rubber Neck Hack 1904 Jack O Lantern Joe 1904 When America Is Captured by the Japs 1904 Ev ry Baby Is a Sweet Bouquet 1906 My Boy Bill 1908 You ll Always Be Just Sweet Sixteen to Me 1908 with words by G A Norton Two Little Blue Little True Little Eyes 1903 with words by Charles H Taylor The Rest of the Week She s Mine 1910Notes edit portrait of Dorothy Zimmerman Vanity Fair October 18 1902 Retrieved September 7 2016 1880 US Census Mary Bretten The Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music Composers and their Music Volume 1 by William H Rehrig Robert Hoe 1991 a b c d e f g h Bratton family history Appendix American John Walter Bratton The Composer of Teddy Bears Picnic TBP a b c d The New York Times February 9 1947 International Lyrics Playground IBDb com John W Bratton Who s Who in Music and Drama An Encyclopedia Biography of Notable Men and Women edited by Harry Prescott and Dixie Hines Retrieved September 7 2016References editJon Bratton Bear Teddy Jon Bratton Bratton Family History Retrieved 2007 12 10 APPENDIX John Walter Bratton 1867 1947 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to John W Bratton John W Bratton at the Internet Broadway Database Free scores by John W Bratton at the International Music Score Library Project IMSLP John W Bratton at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John W Bratton amp oldid 1172834795, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
