Dominic Vautier 2/7/2012
Few
music publishers ever got a better deal than Witmark
did when he recruited Ernest Ball as a staff pianist at $20
a week. Even the
members of the firm did not realize what a bargain they were getting
when they first interviewed this unassuming young laid back guy.
Ball taught piano at the age of thirteen to earn money to complete his musical education. He graduated from the Cleveland Conservatory of Music. With little Professional experience Ball got on at Witmark's Music Publishing House.
Three years later Ball had his first big hit, Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May?
The Witmarks had a potential genius in their demonstrating rooms who could write better songs than just about any other staff member. Ball was promoted to staff composer, signed up to a 20-year contract, and cranked out an unprecedented number of hits, some very big ones.
The
composer was a sentimentalist who aimed his songs at the most
vulnerable of targets-the hearts of his customers. He discovered
a success formula early in his career and stuck to it religiously,
specializing only in ballads.
Ernest
Ball was also able to work with good lyricists. These included Dave
Reed, Jr., Arthur Lamb, Rita Johnson Young, Paul Laurence Dunbar, the
eminent poet, and Caro Roma, the composer of Can’t You Hear Me
Callin’ Caroline? His greatest hits, however, were written in
collaboration with George Graff and J.
Kiern Brennan.
