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Ted Snyder
Ted Snyder
Ted Snyder
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Theodore Frank Snyder (August 15, 1881 – July 16, 1965), was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher.[a] His hits include "The Sheik of Araby" (1921) and "Who's Sorry Now?" (1923). In 1970, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. As of 2007, his compositions have been used in more than twenty motion pictures.[1]

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Born in Freeport, Illinois, Snyder grew up in Boscobel, Wisconsin. He learned to play the piano as a boy and as a young man returned to Illinois to work in Chicago as a pianist in a café before being employed by a music publishing company.

Career

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"That Mysterious Rag"
A 1911 composition by Irving Berlin and Snyder. Performed by the Premier Quartette in the same year.
Problems playing this file? See media help.
"Ramshackle Rag"
A 1911 composition by Snyder performed by Arthur Pryor's band in the same year, in an arrangement by William Schulz.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Snyder moved to New York in 1904 after working in Chicago plugging musical compositions.[2]

In 1907, Snyder had his first musical composition published and the following year set up his own music publishing business in New York City. He gave Irving Berlin his first break in 1909 when he hired him as a staff writer for his company and the two eventually became business partners. In 1914, Ted Snyder became one of the founding members of ASCAP.

Snyder's growing name as a top-line composer led to his compositions being used in stage plays with the first to make it to Broadway in 1908. Following his teaming up with Irving Berlin, the two were hired to perform and sing their music in the 1910 musical Up and Down Broadway. Snyder would become widely known to a later generation through hits such as 1921's "The Sheik of Araby" recorded by several artists including Duke Ellington (in 1932[3]), Benny Goodman (in 1937), and The Beatles (in 1962, Decca Audition).

The most notable of Snyder's works is "Who's Sorry Now?" written in 1923 in collaboration with Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. "Who's Sorry Now?" became a No.1 hit on the UK Singles Chart for Connie Francis in 1958 and went to No. 4 on the American Billboard charts. In 2000, it was named one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In 1930, Snyder retired from the songwriting business and moved to California, where he opened a Hollywood nightclub. As of 2007, his compositions have been used in about twenty-two motion pictures[1] from 1926's The Sheik of Araby, to the 1946's Marx Brothers' A Night in Casablanca, to 1979's All That Jazz, to 2002's The Good Girl.

Death and legacy

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Ted Snyder died in 1965 in Woodland Hills.[4][5]

In 1970, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

In 1985, the heirs to his music copyrights were party to Mills Music, Inc. v. Snyder.

Work on Broadway

[edit]

References

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Ted Snyder

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Ted Snyder is an American songwriter, composer, lyricist, and music publisher known for his influential contributions to Tin Pan Alley popular music in the early 20th century, including enduring standards such as "The Sheik of Araby" and "Who's Sorry Now?", and for his pivotal role in nurturing the early career of Irving Berlin. Born on August 15, 1881, in Freeport, Illinois, Snyder grew up in Boscobel, Wisconsin, and began his professional life posting theater bills before moving to Chicago in his twenties to work as a café pianist and staff pianist for music publishers. He relocated to New York in 1908, established his own publishing company the following year, and hired a young Irving Berlin as a staff writer; the two later became partners in the firm Waterson, Berlin and Snyder, collaborating on numerous successful songs and performing together in the 1910 Broadway revue Up and Down Broadway. Snyder was a charter member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1914, and his compositions appeared in several Broadway productions, including Mr. Hamlet of Broadway (1909), Sinbad, and Make it Snappy. After retiring from songwriting in 1930, Snyder moved to Hollywood, California, where he opened a nightclub. He died on July 16, 1965, in Woodland Hills, California, and was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 in recognition of his lasting impact on American popular music.

Early life

Birth and family background

Theodore Frank Snyder, professionally known as Ted Snyder, was born on August 15, 1881, in Freeport, Illinois, United States. He was the son of Phillip Snyder and Anna Billerbeck. He grew up in Boscobel, Wisconsin.

Entry into music

As a young man in Wisconsin, Snyder posted theater bills for a living. In his twenties, he moved to Chicago and entered the music industry as a cafe pianist and song plugger for music publishing companies. In these roles, he performed popular music in cafes while promoting new songs to drive sheet music sales. These positions provided hands-on experience in the popular song market. By the early 1900s, Snyder transitioned to establishing himself as a professional songwriter and composer. The foundational experience he gained as a pianist and song plugger prepared him for his later independent ventures in the field.

Tin Pan Alley career

Founding of publishing company

Ted Snyder founded the Ted Snyder Company in 1908, establishing his own music publishing firm in New York City during the height of the Tin Pan Alley era. The company opened in June 1908 at the Crown Building, 112 West 38th Street, a strategic location between the traditional Tin Pan Alley district and emerging music publishing areas. It was formally incorporated on July 9, 1908. As owner and publisher, Snyder directed the company's early operations, which centered on publishing popular sheet music and building a catalog of songs. The firm grew by hiring staff writers to generate material, supporting the collaborative environment typical of Tin Pan Alley publishers. This setup provided a foundation for songwriting partnerships that developed in the company's early years. The Ted Snyder Company quickly positioned itself as a notable player among New York's music publishers.

Collaboration with Irving Berlin

Ted Snyder hired Irving Berlin as a staff lyricist for his publishing company in 1909, marking the beginning of a significant early partnership in Tin Pan Alley. This arrangement placed Berlin, then still emerging as a songwriter, under Snyder's established operation, which had been set up a year earlier and provided a stable platform for collaboration. The two worked closely together, with Snyder generally composing the music and Berlin supplying the lyrics for several songs during this period. One prominent example of their joint work was "My Wife's Gone to the Country (Hurrah! Hurrah!)" from 1909, with lyrics by George Whiting and Irving Berlin and music by Ted Snyder, which achieved notable popularity and helped establish Berlin's name in the industry. They co-wrote additional titles in a similar fashion during the late 1900s and early 1910s, contributing to the era's characteristic Tin Pan Alley output. This collaboration proved instrumental in Berlin's early career development, offering him professional guidance, publication opportunities, and exposure that accelerated his rise as a leading songwriter. The direct creative partnership gradually tapered off in the early 1910s as Berlin's growing success and independence—particularly following his breakthrough hits—shifted him toward solo work and separate publishing arrangements.

Major songwriting partnerships

Partnership with Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby

Ted Snyder collaborated with lyricists Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby after Kalmar and Ruby formed their own songwriting partnership in 1920. This collaboration formed part of Snyder's ongoing Tin Pan Alley activities, where he contributed melodies to their lyrics. The partnership proved productive during the 1920s, marking a key period of joint output in Snyder's later career. Creatively, the dynamic paired Snyder's experience as a composer and publisher with the lyrical style of Kalmar and Ruby, while business-wise, some of their joint efforts were published through firms associated with Snyder's earlier ventures. Their teamwork yielded significant hits, most notably "Who's Sorry Now?" (1923), which highlighted the strengths of this combination.

Other collaborations and works

Ted Snyder collaborated with numerous lyricists throughout his Tin Pan Alley career, producing a variety of songs beyond his most prominent partnerships. He worked with Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler on compositions including "The Sheik of Araby," written in 1921 for the Broadway revue Make It Snappy and inspired by the popularity of Rudolph Valentino's film The Sheik. Snyder also teamed with Sam M. Lewis and Joe Young on several works, such as "How’d You Like To Be My Daddy," which appeared in the 1918 Broadway production Sinbad starring Al Jolson, and "Meet Me at the Station Dear," published in 1917. Other collaborations included efforts with George Whiting and Carter De Haven on "Beautiful Rose," interpolated into the 1909 Broadway show Mr. Hamlet of Broadway. Earlier in his career, Snyder partnered with Ed Rose on "If You Cared for Me" in 1908 and with Will D. Cobb on "There’s a Girl in This World for Every Boy," his first hit in 1907. He additionally worked with lyricist Edgar Leslie on various projects. These partnerships formed part of Snyder's extensive output, which encompassed around 90 songs overall.

Notable compositions

Key songs and hits

Ted Snyder produced numerous popular songs during his Tin Pan Alley years, with several achieving lasting recognition as standards of the era. His most celebrated collaboration with lyricists Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby yielded "Who's Sorry Now?", published in 1923, regarded as perhaps his greatest composition. The song's success reflected the era's demand for catchy, sentimental numbers that resonated widely through sheet music and early recordings. Another signature work is "The Sheik of Araby", published in 1921 with lyrics by Harry B. Smith and Francis Wheeler, frequently cited among his best-known and most recorded pieces. It gained immediate popularity as a dance tune amid the Orientalist trends in popular music of the early 1920s. Snyder's earlier output included his first hit, "There’s a Girl in This World for Every Boy" (1907, lyrics by Will D. Cobb), followed by ragtime successes like "Wild Cherries" (1908) and collaborations with Irving Berlin such as "That Mysterious Rag" (1911). Other notable titles from his partnerships include "In the Land of Harmony" (1911, with Bert Kalmar) and various novelty and sentimental songs that contributed to his prolific reputation in the 1910s and 1920s. These works often achieved strong commercial impact through vaudeville performances and sheet music sales during their initial release periods.

Contributions to film and media

Songs in motion pictures

Ted Snyder's songs, popular from the Tin Pan Alley era, were licensed for use in motion pictures starting in the 1920s, including during the silent film era and continuing with the transition to sound films in the late 1920s. His compositions served primarily as source music, theme songs, or performed numbers rather than original film scores, reflecting the industry's reliance on established popular songs. "The Sheik of Araby" (1921) proved one of his most frequently adapted works for the screen. In the same year as the feature The Son of the Sheik (1926), he wrote "That Night in Araby" specifically in connection with that film, expanding on the theme from his earlier hit. In the 1930s, Snyder's music continued to appear occasionally in films. His work was used as uncredited stock music in The Headline Woman (1935). A prominent later example during his lifetime was the performance of "The Sheik of Araby" in the 1940 musical Tin Pan Alley, sung by Alice Faye and Betty Grable as part of the film's celebration of Tin Pan Alley songwriting. These placements highlight how Snyder's catalog contributed to the soundtrack landscape of early Hollywood, even as original film scoring became more prominent. While his songs saw broader reuse in later decades, the motion picture uses during and shortly after his active career remained selective and tied to his most enduring hits.

Posthumous uses in television and film

Ted Snyder's songs have continued to enjoy widespread use in films and television series long after his death in 1965, reflecting their status as enduring popular standards. "Who's Sorry Now?" has been licensed for numerous projects, including a prominent appearance in the comedy National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), where it was performed by Connie Francis. The song also featured in later films such as All That Jazz (1979), Leatherheads (2008), and Don't Worry Darling (2022), as well as television episodes including those of Boardwalk Empire (2011–2012), Get Shorty (2018), and The Simpsons (2020). "The Sheik of Araby" has similarly maintained relevance, appearing in Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight (2014), performed by Sidney De Paris and DeParis Brothers Orchestra. The song was also used in the wartime drama Allied (2016) and more recently in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City (2023). It featured in additional films such as Bulworth (1998) and Analyze This (1999), and recurred in multiple episodes of Boardwalk Empire (2011–2012). These recurring placements in both major motion pictures and episodic television illustrate the persistent licensing and cultural resonance of Snyder's catalog in modern media.

Later life and death

Retirement and relocation

Ted Snyder retired from songwriting in 1930 and relocated to California, where he opened a nightclub in Hollywood. He spent his later years in retirement in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles.

Death and burial

Ted Snyder died on July 16, 1965, at the age of 83 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. He was buried at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, Los Angeles.

Legacy

Ted Snyder's songs and publishing efforts significantly shaped the Tin Pan Alley tradition and the broader landscape of American popular music in the early 20th century. His melodic style, rooted in ragtime influences, contributed to the development of accessible, enduring popular songs that transitioned into the jazz era. Several of his compositions became jazz standards, frequently recorded and performed by jazz artists, highlighting their adaptability and lasting appeal beyond their original vaudeville and sheet music contexts. A key aspect of Snyder's influence was his role in nurturing early talent, particularly through his professional relationship with Irving Berlin. Berlin began his career as a staff lyricist and song plugger for Snyder's publishing company, contributing lyrics to Snyder's music on early hits and gaining essential experience in the Tin Pan Alley system. This collaboration helped refine Berlin's craft and added to the body of work that defined the era's songwriting conventions. Snyder's own published hits, such as "The Sheik of Araby" and "Who's Sorry Now?", achieved widespread popularity and later secured status as jazz standards through interpretations by leading musicians. These works exemplified the bridge between ragtime rhythms and the swing and improvisation of jazz, providing foundational material for the Great American Songbook. His prominence in the industry was evident in events like the "Ted Snyder Week" in May 1914, when New York's theater district celebrated his catalog with performances and promotions, underscoring the reach and impact of his contributions at the height of Tin Pan Alley.

Recognition and honors

Ted Snyder was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. This recognition came as part of the organization's inaugural class of inductees, which honored foundational figures in American popular music. The induction five years after his death acknowledged his role as a prominent Tin Pan Alley composer, lyricist, and publisher. This honor reflects his influence on popular music. No other formal posthumous awards or tributes are documented in major industry sources.
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