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Andy Razaf
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Andy Razaf
Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was the American lyricist of such well-known songs as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose". He was also a composer, poet and vocalist.
Razaf was born in 1895 in Washington, D.C., United States. His birth name was Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo. He was the son of Henri Razafinkarefo, nephew of Queen Ranavalona III of the Imerina kingdom in Madagascar, and Jennie Razafinkarefo (née Waller), daughter of John L. Waller, the first African American consul to Imerina. The French invasion of Madagascar (1894-95) left Henri dead, and forced pregnant 15-year-old Jennie to escape to the U.S. Razaf was raised in Harlem, Manhattan.
At age 16, Razaf quit school and took a job as an elevator operator in a Tin Pan Alley office building. A year later he penned his first song text, embarking on his career as a lyricist. During this time he spent many nights in the Greyhound Lines bus station in Times Square, and picked up his mail at the Gaiety Theatre office building, which was considered the black Tin Pan Alley.
Some of Razaf's early poems were published in 1917–18 in the Hubert Harrison-edited Voice, the first newspaper of the "New Negro Movement". He was a contributor to and editor of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League's Negro World newspaper.
Razaf's most important collaborator was Fats Waller. Among the best-known Razaf-Waller songs are "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Honeysuckle Rose", "The Joint Is Jumpin'", "Willow Tree", "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue". Razaf also worked with other composers including Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, J. C. Johnson, Don Redman and Harry Brooks. His songs were played by them and other songwriter-performers, as well as by Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman and many other musicians. He wrote a number of raunchy "character" blues-type songs that were sung by many 1920s female blues singers.[example needed]
Though primarily a lyricist, Razaf wrote both the words and the music of many songs, though none became as well known as his collaborations with other composers.
Razaf also made many recordings as a vocalist, of both his own songs and others', most in the late 1920s, as a soloist (sometimes on ukelele) and with musicians including James P. Johnson[citation needed] and Fletcher Henderson.
He married Annabelle Miller in 1915 but abandoned her within a few years. He was married to Jean Blackwell Hutson from 1939 to 1947, to Dorothy Carpenter from 1948 to around 1960, and to Alicia Wilson Georgiade from 1963 until his death.
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Andy Razaf
Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was the American lyricist of such well-known songs as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose". He was also a composer, poet and vocalist.
Razaf was born in 1895 in Washington, D.C., United States. His birth name was Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo. He was the son of Henri Razafinkarefo, nephew of Queen Ranavalona III of the Imerina kingdom in Madagascar, and Jennie Razafinkarefo (née Waller), daughter of John L. Waller, the first African American consul to Imerina. The French invasion of Madagascar (1894-95) left Henri dead, and forced pregnant 15-year-old Jennie to escape to the U.S. Razaf was raised in Harlem, Manhattan.
At age 16, Razaf quit school and took a job as an elevator operator in a Tin Pan Alley office building. A year later he penned his first song text, embarking on his career as a lyricist. During this time he spent many nights in the Greyhound Lines bus station in Times Square, and picked up his mail at the Gaiety Theatre office building, which was considered the black Tin Pan Alley.
Some of Razaf's early poems were published in 1917–18 in the Hubert Harrison-edited Voice, the first newspaper of the "New Negro Movement". He was a contributor to and editor of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League's Negro World newspaper.
Razaf's most important collaborator was Fats Waller. Among the best-known Razaf-Waller songs are "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Honeysuckle Rose", "The Joint Is Jumpin'", "Willow Tree", "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue". Razaf also worked with other composers including Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, J. C. Johnson, Don Redman and Harry Brooks. His songs were played by them and other songwriter-performers, as well as by Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman and many other musicians. He wrote a number of raunchy "character" blues-type songs that were sung by many 1920s female blues singers.[example needed]
Though primarily a lyricist, Razaf wrote both the words and the music of many songs, though none became as well known as his collaborations with other composers.
Razaf also made many recordings as a vocalist, of both his own songs and others', most in the late 1920s, as a soloist (sometimes on ukelele) and with musicians including James P. Johnson[citation needed] and Fletcher Henderson.
He married Annabelle Miller in 1915 but abandoned her within a few years. He was married to Jean Blackwell Hutson from 1939 to 1947, to Dorothy Carpenter from 1948 to around 1960, and to Alicia Wilson Georgiade from 1963 until his death.
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