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Noble Sissle

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Songwriter

The Resume

    (July 10, 1889-December 17, 1975)
    Born in Indianapolis, Indiana
    Bandleader and lyricist
    Collaborated with Eubie Blake on the Broadway musicals 'Shuffle Along' (1921) and 'Chocolate Dandies' (1924) and the song 'I'm Just Wild About Harry' (1921)

Why he might be annoying:

    His first successful collaboration with Eubie Blake was 'Gee, I'm Glad I'm from Dixie,' even though he came from Indiana and Blake came from Maryland.
    A theater historian admitted, 'Judged by contemporary standards, much of 'Shuffle Along' would seem offensive. Most of the comedy relied on old minstrel show stereotypes.'
    In an early example of sequelitis, he and Blake wrote 'Shuffle Along of 1933' (closed after 15 performances) and 'Shuffle Along of 1952' (four performances).

Why he might not be annoying:

    He and James Reese Europe organized the regimental band for the Harlem Hellfighters (369th Infantry Regiment), which was credited with introducing jazz to France during World War I.
    'Shuffle Along' was the first successful Broadway musical written by and starring African-Americans.
    Poet Langston Hughes credited 'Shuffle Along' with launching the Harlem Rennaissance.
    He was a founding member and first president of the Negro Actors Guild of America (1937).
    He entertained over a million soldiers touring with the USO during World War II.
    'I'm Just Wild About Harry' enjoyed renewed popularity after Harry S Truman adopted it as the theme song for his reelection campaign (1948).
    He performed at the inauguration of Dwight David Eisenhower (1953).

Credit: C. Fishel


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