- Paul Dresser
Paul Dresser (
April 22 1857 –January 31 1906 ) was an important American songwriter of the late 19th century and early 20th century.Biography
He was born in
Terre Haute, Indiana , and baptized as Johann Paul Dreiser Jr. onMay 24 1857 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Terre Haute. Paul Dresser is best-known for composing what would become thestate song of Indiana, "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away ". His younger brother was novelistTheodore Dreiser .Dresser worked as an
actor , playwright, songwriter, producer, and music publisher. He composed more than 100 songs onTin Pan Alley , inNew York City . At the peak of his fame, in the 1890s, he was the most popular songwriter in AmericaFact|date=October 2008. He created his own publishing house in 1901 to produce his works.Despite his fame, he was financially unwise. He gave much of his money away to friends and family, and when his publishing house failed, he was left destitute. He died, aged 49, in
New York City .Paul Dresser was portrayed in the
biopic "My Gal Sal " (1942) by actorVictor Mature . Dresser was inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.Legacies
Many landmarks in
Vigo County, Indiana , including the Dresser Memorial Bridge, Dresser Drive and the unplatted community of Dresser, situated on the west bank of theWabash River , were named after Paul Dresser.His birthplace is maintained at Henry Fairbanks Park in Terre Haute by the
Vigo County Historical Society. Dresser Drive, a street in the Forest Hills neighborhood ofAnderson, Indiana , is named for him, as is the Dresser Bridge, which crosses theWabash River , nearAttica, Indiana .Theodore Dreiser wrote an account of his brother's life in his book "Twelve Men", published in 1919. A recent academic study of Dresser's life, "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away: The Life and Music of Paul Dresser" by Clayton W. Henderson, was published by the
Indiana Historical Society Press in 2003.ources
* Sadie, S. (ed.) (1980) "The New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians", [vol. # 5] .
External links
*Shof|id=340|name=Paul Dresser
*imdb name|id=0237573|name=Paul Dresser
*imdb title|id=0035103|title=My Gal Sal
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