Jesse Greer (August 26, 1896 New York City – October 3, 1970 Columbia, Connecticut) was an American Broadway songwriter. His musical Shady Lady was staged in 1933 with additional music by Sam H. Stept. Greer composed "Just You, Just Me" for the 1929 musical film Marianne with lyrics by Raymond Klages, as well as "Kitty from Kansas City", "Gonna Meet My Sweetie Now", "Climbing Up the Ladder of Love", "Spellbound", "Flapperette", "Freshie", "What Do I Care", "Sleepy Head", "Once in a Lifetime", and "Baby Blue Eyes".
The Dining Hall of the June Norcross Webster Scout Reservation in Ashford, Connecticut, is named in his honor. Greer was an early financial contributor to the Boy Scouts of America and would often visit the camp until his death. The Camp Staff would sing "The Hills of My Connecticut" upon his arrival.
The Greer Music Library at Connecticut College is named in his honor and was funded by a $50,000 gift from Jesse and his wife Josephine Lauter Greer through the Lauter Foundation. Their Jesse Greer Sheet Music Collection contains over 100 songs that he composed.
References
- "Jesse Greer, 74, Dies; Popular Song Writer". The Hartford Courant. October 4, 1970. p. 4B. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- "Jesse Greer, 74, Composer for Broadway Shows, Dies," New York Times, October 4, 1970, 93:1.
- Colin Larkin, The Encyclopedia of Popular Music - Volume 1, 2006, p. 50: "He contributed some lyrics to various revues before having his 'I'll Betcha I'll Getcha' and 'Hiya, Sucker' (both with Jesse Greer) included in the 1933 Broadway musical comedy Shady Lady."
- "Jesse Greer", Variety, October 7, 1970.
External links
- Jesse Greer at the Internet Broadway Database
- Greer Music Library
- Jesse Greer recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
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