Alex Kramer

Alex J. Kramer (May 30, 1903 – February 10, 1998) was a Canadian songwriter.

He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His parents were Adolph and Freda Kramer. At age 17 he was hired as a pianist in a silent movie theater in Montreal. He traveled first to Palm Beach, Florida, joining the Meyer Davis orchestra, and then to Paris and Cannes, before returning to New York City, where he became a radio bandleader. He also worked as an accompanist in nightclubs and in vaudeville.

One of his other musical activities was coaching vocalists in singing techniques, and one of his students was Joan Whitney, who eventually became both his wife and his songwriting partner. Their first hit as a songwriting team was "High on a Windy Hill," which became a No. 1 hit in 1941 for the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra.

In 1948, he and his wife started a song publishing firm. However, soon followed the end of the big band era, leading to the collapse of their publishing business. He eventually became associated with Bourne Co. Music Publishers. He also continued to lead an orchestra, conduct on the radio, and serve as an accompanist in night clubs and what remained of the vaudeville business.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 30, 1903 (Montreal), Died February 10, 1998

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1951

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 26-27 of 27 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor D9VB-0612 10-in. 4/26/1949 Nothin' in my letter box Milton DeLugg ; Dale Evans Female vocal solo, with string band songwriter  
Columbia (U.K.) CL8935 10-in. 1/19/1951 Au bout du monde Aimé Barelli ; Lucienne Delyle Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
(Results 26-27 of 27 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Kramer, Alex," accessed September 15, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111089.

Kramer, Alex. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved September 15, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111089.

"Kramer, Alex." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 15 September 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/111089

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