1917 Brown, McCarron and Von Tilzer Sheet Music Map of the United States

Lew Brown (December 10, 1893 - February 5, 1958) was a Russian-American Jewish lyricist. Born Lewis Brownstein in Odessa, in the then Russian Empire (modern Ukraine), Brown immigrated to the United States at the age of five. He and his family settled in New York City and Brown attended DeWitt Clinton High School, before dropping out to pursue songwriting. He began writing song for Tin Pan Alley in 1912 and collaborated with established composers, including Albert von Tilzer. Two of the well-known works that came out of this collaboration are '(I'm Going Back to) Kentucky Sue)' and 'I'm the Lonesomest Gal in Town'. During World War I, Brown wrote a string of popular songs with von Tilzer, Al, Harriman, and others. Brown formed his most successful writing partnership in 1925 when he began collaborating with Buddy DeSylva and Ray Henderson, writing hits such as 'Button Up Your Overcoat' and 'The Birth of the Blues'. In 1931, DeSylva decided to go in a different direction, but the other two men continued working together. In 1942, Brown penned the lyrics for 'Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree', which was subsequently recorded by Glenn Miller and the Andrews Sisters, launching the tune to popularity. It was not long after the success of 'Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree' that Brown retired from songwriting. Brown was married twice, first to Sylvia Fiske, with whom he had two daughters, and later to Catherine 'June' Brown. More by this mapmaker...

Charles R. McCarron (1891 - 1919) was a Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer. Learn More...

Albert von Tilzer (March 29, 1878 - October 1, 1956) was an American songwriter, most well known for writing the music for 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, then known as Albert Gumm, to Polish Jewish immigrants, it was von Tilzer's older brother Harry that first adopted his mother's maiden name, Tilzer, and then added the German nobility particle 'von' to add gravitas and class. Soon his three younger brothers had changed their last names as well. Von Tilzer became a very successful Tin Pan Alley songwriter who wrote hundreds of songs, including 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game', listed at #8 on the list of Songs of the Century published by the Recording Industry Associatio0n of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. Learn More...