Charles N. Daniels

Charles N. Daniels (April 12, 1878 – January 23, 1943), was a composer, occasional lyricist, and music publishing executive. He employed many pseudonyms, including Neil Moret, Jules Lemare, L'Albert, Paul Bertrand, Julian Strauss, and Sidney Carter. His creative work is generally credited as "Moret" while his business dealings and ASCAP membership were under the name Daniels.

He was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, and brought up in Saint Joseph and Kansas City, Missouri. At 18 he won a prize for his composition "Margery", which was performed by John Philip Sousa's band.

By 1899, Daniels was such a celebrity that when Carl Hoffman published the sheet music for Scott Joplin's "Original Rags," he made a point to credit Daniels as the arranger. It's not known if Daniels actually arranged the piece or merely transcribed it.cite web|url=http://www.nfo.net/cal/tm6.html#Moret|title=BigBands Database|accessdate=2008-08-29]

In 1904 he started the Daniels and Russel publishing firm in Saint Louis, later forming his own firm and working as an executive with Jerome H. Remick & Co.

In 1928 he wrote the music for the song "She's Funny That Way", to words that Richard A. Whiting-- normally a composer himself-- wrote as a gift to his wife. This was recorded by a number of singers, including Margaret Whiting, Richard's daughter.

He also composed "Chloe" (1927; words by Gus Kahn), "Moonlight and Roses Bring Mem'ries of You" (1925; words and music Moret and Ben Black, but based upon an organ composition by Edwin H. Lemare), and did both words and music for "Song of the Wanderer" (1926). Under his real name he published "You Tell Me Your Dream, I'll Tell You Mine" with Jay Blackton, A. H. Brown and Seymour Rice in 1908. This was recorded in 1931 by the Mills Brothers.

A definitive biography of him has been written by his niece, Nan Bostick.

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