Al Hoffman

Al Hoffman (September 25, 1902 – July 21, 1960) was an American song composer. He was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number-one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today. He was posthumously made a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. The popularity of Hoffman's song, "Mairzy Doats", co-written with Jerry Livingston and Milton Drake, was such that newspapers and magazines wrote about the craze. Time magazine titled one article "Our Mairzy Dotage". The New York Times simply wrote the headline, "That Song".

Hoffman's songs were recorded by singers such as Frank Sinatra ("Close To You", "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die"), Billy Eckstine ("I Apologize") Perry Como ("Papa Loves Mambo", "Hot Diggity"), Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong ("Who Walks In When I Walk Out"), Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, the Merry Macs, Sophie Tucker, Eartha Kitt, Patsy Cline, Patti Page ("Allegheny Moon") and Bette Midler. In October, 2007, Hoffman's "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die" was the lead single from Queen Latifah's album, Trav'lin' Light.

Though Hoffman had apparently little connection to Chicago, he wrote the Chicago Bears fight song "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" in 1941 under the pseudonym Jerry Downs.

Birth and Death Data: Born September 25, 1902 (Stoŭbcy District), Died July 21, 1960 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1920 - 1950

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist, adapter

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

Recordings (Results 26-50 of 242 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BRC-72582 10-in. 5/13/1932 A picnic for two Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio songwriter  
Victor BS-73391 10-in. 9/13/1932 Beside the sunset trail Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-73504 10-in. 9/15/1932 Someday we'll meet again Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor LBS-73505 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 9/15/1932 Someday we'll meet again Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor BS-73707 10-in. 9/28/1932 Someday we'll meet again Bob Miller's Memphis Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-73720 10-in. 9/30/1932 Beside the sunset trail Harold Mooney and his Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BS-73864 10-in. 10/25/1932 Fit as a fiddle Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal trio composer  
Victor LBS-73865 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 10/25/1932 Fit as a fiddle Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-73866 10-in. 10/25/1932 Sweet muchacha Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with male vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-73871 10-in. 10/27/1932 The cop on the beat, the man in the moon, and me Frank Luther ; Victor Arden-Phil Ohman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor LBS-73942 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 11/10/1932 Dance selections Pennsylvanians ; Fred Waring Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solos and chorus composer, songwriter  
Victor BS-73970 10-in. 11/17/1932 In the dim dim dawning Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Irene Taylor Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo composer  
Victor LBS-73971 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 11/17/1932 In the dim dim dawning Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-73972 10-in. 11/17/1932 In the dim dim dawning Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-73986 10-in. 11/22/1932 In the dim dim dawning Baby Rose Marie Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-73989 10-in. 11/23/1932 Someday we'll meet again Tom Berwick Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor LBS-74612 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 11/24/1932 Willow Weep for me Jack Fulton ; Paul Whiteman Orchestra ; Irene Taylor Jazz/dance band, with male and female vocal solos composer  
Victor BS-74696 10-in. 12/16/1932 It's winter again Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor LBS-74697 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 12/16/1932 It's winter again Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-74698 10-in. 12/16/1932 It's winter again Isham Jones Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-74937 10-in. 1/20/1933 Suzanne Tom Berwick Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-75257 10-in. 2/17/1933 Black eyed Susan Brown Glen Gray Orchestra ; Walter Hunt Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor LBS-75259 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 2/17/1933 Black eyed Susan Brown Glen Gray Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor LBS-75261 10-in. (33-1/3 rpm) 2/17/1933 Dardanella Glen Gray Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BS-75317 10-in. 2/26/1933 Meet me in the gloaming Don Bestor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
(Results 26-50 of 242 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hoffman, Al," accessed April 29, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

Hoffman, Al. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 29, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

"Hoffman, Al." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 29 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280

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