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 1-25 of 242 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-43665 10-in. 4/22/1928 Forget-me-not Paul Whiteman Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-50543 10-in. 3/15/1929 That's what I call sweet music Eddie Harkness Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-50575 10-in. 4/1/1929 That's what I call sweet music Ted Shapiro Orchestra ; Sophie Tucker Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Victor PBVE-50858 10-in. 4/25/1929 That's what I call sweet music Herman Kenin Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BRC-53012 10-in. 4/15/1931 Ya got love Kansas City Orchestra ; Bennie Moten ; Jimmy Rushing Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-53947 10-in. 7/25/1929 In the hush of the night Park Central Orchestra ; Ben Pollack Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BVE-58526 10-in. 1/27/1930 Blue eyes (Get red red ready for love) Johnny Marvin Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor BVE-59905 10-in. 3/29/1930 Are you ashamed of me? Gene and Glenn Male vocal duet, with piano songwriter  
Victor BVE-59910 10-in. 4/1/1930 On a blue and moonless night Wayne King Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-62295 10-in. 6/27/1930 Roses are for-get-me-nots (reminding me of you) Frank Munn ; Nathaniel Shilkret ; Victor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-62692 10-in. 7/24/1930 In my heart it's you Bernie Cummins ; Walter Cummins ; New Yorker Hotel Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-63120 10-in. 7/16/1930 Good evenin' Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-63631 10-in. 9/8/1930 I don't mind walking in the rain (when I'm walking in the rain with you) Bix Beiderbecke's Orchestra ; Joe Venuti Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-67404 10-in. 1/19/1931 Heartaches Bert Lown Hotel Biltmore Orchestra ; Biltmore Trio Jazz/dance band, with vocal trio composer  
Victor BVE-67761 10-in. 1/5/1931 If you haven't got a girl Red Nichols and his Big Ten ; Paul Small Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor PBS-68424 10-in. 2/2/1933 Suzanne Gus Arnheim Orchestra ; The Three Rhythm Boys Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio composer  
Victor BRC-69970 10-in. 6/23/1931 Makin' faces at the man in the moon Connecticut Yankees ; Rudy Vallée Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and whistling solo lyricist  
Victor BRC-70134 10-in. 7/29/1931 I apologize Nathaniel Shilkret ; Paul Small ; Victor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-70226 10-in. 9/11/1931 Cutest kid in town Walter Ashby ; Elly Bellare ; Snooks Friedman ; Ken Herlin ; Memphis Ramblers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio songwriter  
Victor BRC-70941 10-in. 11/2/1931 I'll always remember September Peter Van Steeden Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-70949 10-in. 11/6/1931 One little quarrel High Hatters ; Frank Luther Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BRC-70988 10-in. 12/18/1931 You're foolin' yourself (When you try to fool me) Gene Kardos Orchestra ; Dick Robertson Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
Victor BVE-72001 10-in. 3/1/1932 Oh what a thrill Chicago Hot Five Jazz/dance quintet, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BRC-72243 10-in. 4/6/1932 Auf Wiedersehen, my dear Russ Columbo Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Victor BRC-72564 10-in. 5/11/1932 Happy go-lucky you and broken hearted me California Cavaliers ; Buddy Rogers Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo songwriter  
(Results 1-25 of 242 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hoffman, Al," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

Hoffman, Al. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/109280.

"Hoffman, Al." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

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

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