John Frederick Coots

John Frederick Coots (May 2, 1897 - April 8, 1985) was an American songwriter. He wrote over 700 songs.

He is most famous for the song Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, a song that became one of the biggest best sellers in American music history.

Among his songs are:
* Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
* You Go To My Head
* Louisiana Fairy TaleHe wrote these three songs with the lyricist Haven Gillespie. "Louisiana Fairy Tale" was also written with Mitchell Parish and was the first theme song for the PBS production of "This Old House".

In 1934 when Gillespie brought him the lyrics to "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", Coots came up with the skeleton of the music in just ten minutes. Later when Coots brought the song to his publisher, Leo Feist Inc., they liked it but thought it was a kids' song and did not expect too much from it.

Coots offered the song to Eddie Cantor who used it on his radio show that November and it became an instant hit. The morning after the radio show there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music, and, by Christmas, sales had passed 400,000.

Timeline - J. Fred Coots

1897 May 2 - Born in Brooklyn, New York

1914 (17) While working in a bank decided to change careers

1917 (20) Had his first song published

1922 (25) Wrote the music for a Broadway show called "Sally, Irene, and Mary"

1928 (31) Wrote "Doin' the Raccoon"

1929 (32) Moved to Hollywood, California

1931 (34) Wrote "Love Letters in the Sand"

1934 (37) Wrote the song "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (over 4 million copies of sheet music sold)

1940 (43) Wrote the New York Rangers victory song

1985 (87) April 8 - Died in New York City

References

* The Story of the song " [Santa Claus Is Coming to Town] "
* December 1956 issue of "The Kiwanis Magazine"
* [http://www.kiwanis.org/magazine/1205mmaclause.asp Claus alert!]

External links

*ibdb name|id=11541|name=J. Fred Coots