Cliff Friend
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| Cliff Friend | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 1, 1893 |
| Origin | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
| Died | June 27, 1974 (aged 80) |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Associated acts | Tin Pan Alley |
Cliff Friend (October 1, 1893 – June 27, 1974) was an accomplished songwriter and pianist. A member of Tin Pan Alley, Friend co-wrote several hits including "Lovesick Blues", "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down", also known as the theme song to the Looney Tunes cartoon series.
[edit] Early life
Friend was born into in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1893.[1] His father was first violinist with the Woods Theater Orchestra.[1] Friend studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with the aim of becoming a concert pianist, until a three-year bout of tuberculosis.[2] Friend met Harry Richman while working on vaudeville shows, and the two moved to Los Angeles, California where they befriended Buddy De Sylva and Al Jolson.[1]
[edit] Tin Pan Alley
Jolson encouraged Friend and Richman to move to New York, where they became part of Tin Pan Alley.[1] Friend collaborated with leading songwriters Abel Baer, Lew Brown, Irving Caesar, Sidney Clare, Billy Rose and Charles Tobias,[1] and Jolson assisted Friend by placing songs in the musicals he was acting in, including The Passing Show and Bombo.[2]
Friend's first hit was in 1923, called "You Tell Her - I Stutter" and co-written with Billy Rose, it was recorded by The Happiness Boys.[2] Over the next 15 years, Friend also co-wrote "Lovesick Blues", "June Night", "Then I'll Be Happy", "(Oh) If I Only Had You", "A Night in June (Beneath the Moon)", "My Blackbirds are Bluebirds Now", "It Goes Like This", "You're a Real Sweetheart", "Bashful Baby", "I Want to Sing About You", "It's Great to Be In Love", "Let's Have a Party", "The Sweetest Music This Side of Heaven", "When My Dream Boat Comes Home", "You've Got Me In the Palm of Your Hand", "Out Where the Blue Begins" and "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down".[2] "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down" was used as the theme song in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon series.
Cliff Friend passed away in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1974.[1]
