- My Mammy
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"My Mammy" is a U.S. popular song with music by Walter Donaldson and lyrics by Joe Young and Sam M. Lewis.
Though associated with Al Jolson, who performed the song very successfully, "My Mammy" was performed first by William Frawley ("Fred Mertz" from I Love Lucy) as a vaudeville-style act during 1918. Jolson heard the song and performed it for the Broadway show Sinbad. Jolson recorded this song twice and performed it in films, including The Jazz Singer (1927), The Singing Fool (1928) and Rose of Washington Square (1939). The group The Happenings revived the song during 1967 with a recording that reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lines include, "The sun shines east, the sun shines west, I know where the sun shines best" and "I'd walk a million miles For one of your smiles, My Mammy!"
Recorded versions
The song "My Mammy" has been recorded by many artists, including:
- John Arpin
- Clive Baldwin
- Eddie Cantor
- Cher
- Cameo
- Brian Conley
- The Everly Brothers
- Eddie Fisher
- The Happenings
- Ted Heath
- Al Jolson
- Jerry Lewis
- Liza Minnelli
- Norfolk Jazz & Jubilee Quartets
- Tony Pastor
- Peerless Quartet
- Kenny Rogers (with Bobby Doyle)
- Jimmy Roselli
- Slappin' Mammys
- Pete Wending
- Paul Whiteman Orchestra
- Jerry Lee Lewis
Trivia
- Mammy was parodied in the recent broadway musical "Thoroughly Modern Millie", in the song "Muqǐn".
- During their Popmart Tour, rock music band U2 would often quote the line "The sun shines east, the sun shines west, I know where the sun shines best" in performances of their song, Miami.
- The song is also mentioned in passing in a season six episode of The Golden Girls (Wham, Bam, Thank You Mammy).
- The song is featured on an episode of Are You Being Served? with Mr. Lucas, Mr. Humphries, and Mr. Grainger.
External links
Categories:- 1921 songs
- Songs with music by Walter Donaldson
- Pop standards
- Al Jolson songs
- Songs with lyrics by Joe Young
- Liza Minnelli songs
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