|
Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCRAIG, Francis(b 10 Sep. 1900, Dickson TN; d 20 Nov. '66, Sewanee TN) Bandleader, pianist, songwriter. He wrote the official football song "Dynamite' for Vanderbilt U. He led a band at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville for more than 20 years and was a staff musician in local radio and on the NBC network; his early band featured singer Kenny Sargent (later with the Casa Loma Band) and Phil Harris on drums, he also introduced Kitty Kallen, Dinah Shore and others. He went to Jim Bulleit, founder of the new Bullet label, to record the band's theme 'Red Rose', hastily arranging his own song 'Near You' with lilting piano and lyrics by Kermit Goell sung by Bob Lamm for the other side: 'Near You' was a smash hit in 1947, covered by the Andrews Sisters, Larry Green, Elliott Lawrence, Alvino Rey, became a standard and comedian Milton Berle's theme; it set a record with 17 weeks at no. 1. It was also distributed by Decca, later remade for Dot; its success contributed to the building of first pressing plant in Nashville. The follow-up was also a Craig tune, 'Beg Your Pardon' no. 4 '48. |