E. Ray Goetz

Edward Ray Goetz (June 12, 1886 – June 12, 1954) was an American composer, lyricist, playwright, theatre director, and theatrical producer. A Tin Pan Alley songwriter, he published more than 500 songs during his career, many of them originally written for the New York stage. His songs were recorded by several artists, including Judy Garland, Al Jolson, and Blossom Seeley. He was active as both a lyricist and composer for Broadway musicals from 1906 through to 1930, collaborating with artists like George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Sigmund Romberg, and A. Baldwin Sloane to create material for the theatre.

Beginning with the musical Hitchy-Koo of 1917, he produced several of the musicals and plays he was creatively involved in up until the 1930-1931 Broadway season, when he produced his final stage work, Porter's The New Yorkers, for which he created the story and served as director. He authored the play The Lady of the Orchids which he produced on Broadway in 1928. He produced and served as production supervisor of Herbert Fields and Porter's 1929 musical Fifty Million Frenchmen which was adapted by Warner Brothers into a 1930 film of the same name.

His work as a songwriter was featured in the films For Me and My Gal (1942), Somebody Loves Me (1952), and The Greatest Show On Earth (1952), the latter of which resulted from his work as the lyricist for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus during the final three years of his life. Having never stopped working, he died in 1954.

Birth and Death Data: Born June 12, 1886 (Buffalo), Died June 12, 1954

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1906 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, composer, songwriter

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

Recordings (Results 76-100 of 100 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 81441 10-in. 12/28/1923 So this is love Barbara Maurel Mezzo-soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Columbia 81533 10-in. 2/7/1924 So this is love Loretta Higgins Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Columbia W143418 10-in. 2/26/1927 Who'll buy my violets? Gypsy and Marta Female vocal duet lyricist  
Columbia [W]147905 10-in. 1/31/1929 The land of going to be Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Columbia [W]148520 10-in. 5/13/1929 I love the moon Jack Carney ; Tom Clines and his Music Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Columbia 6273 12-in. approximately 1912 There's a girl in Havana Two Bobs Vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Columbia 75291 12-in. approximately 1916 Yacka hula hickey dula Ciro's Club Coon Orchestra Instrumental ensemble songwriter  
OKeh S-71956 10-in. Oct. 1923 So this is love Yellow Jackets Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick [Br cat 5107-a] 10-in. approximately mid-1917 For me and my gal Henry Burr ; Albert Campbell Male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist  
Brunswick 11968-11971 10-in. 11/26/1923 So this is love Old Colony Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Brunswick 12258-12260 10-in. 1/10/1924 So this is love Marie Tiffany Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Brunswick 12503-12505 10-in. 2/11/1924 So this is love Marie Tiffany Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Brunswick E28397 10-in. approximately Nov. 1928 The land of going to be Glen Wick ; William Wirges Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo; without vocal (take G) lyricist  
Brunswick E36094 10-in. 2/18/1931 Who’ll buy my violets? Brunswick Hour Orchestra Orchestra, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Brunswick E36214 10-in. 3/4/1931 Who’ll buy my violets? Will Osborne and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Brunswick E21859-E21861 10-in. 3/12/1927 Who’ll buy my violets? Colonial Club Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Edison 3313 10-in. between 9/19/1914 and 9/26/1914 My croony melody Billy Murray Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Edison 4548 10-in. 3/2/1916 Yaaka hula hickey dula Walter Van Brunt Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 4885 10-in. 7/18/1916 By the sad Luana shore George Wilton Ballard ; Elizabeth Spencer Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Edison 5486 10-in. 4/3/1917 For me and my gal Billy Murray Male vocal solo and vocal ensemble, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison 7194 10-in. 3/2/1920 Who ate Napoleons with Josephine (When Bonaparte was away)? Maurice Burkhart Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 9257 10-in. 11/23/1923 So this is love Kaplan's Melodists Jazz/dance band composer  
Edison 18873 10-in. 11/16/1928 Land of Going-to-be Elinor Gail Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Edison N-568 10-in. 11/16/1929 Land of Going-to-be Elinor Gail Female vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
Leeds & Catlin [L & C cat 207] 10-in. between late 1908 and early 1909 Oh! That Yankiana rag Arthur Collins Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist  
(Results 76-100 of 100 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Goetz, E. Ray," accessed May 2, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106567.

Goetz, E. Ray. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved May 2, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106567.

"Goetz, E. Ray." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 May 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106567

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