St. Nicholas Music, Inc.
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," sung by a 13-year-old Brenda Lee:
Video posted by Christmas Music
"A Holly Jolly Christmas," sung by Lady Antebellum:
Video posted by ChristmasEve12345
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," sung by Ben Rector (in a slightly less familiar fashion than other covers):
Video posted by Ben Rector
Although he wrote 175 published songs, these three massive hits--and the over twenty other Christmas songs he wrote--led songwriter Johnny Marks to name his music publishing company "St. Nicholas Music." Despite this very public acknowledgment of the importance of Christmas to his career, Marks was Jewish.
Here's a little from the man himself--Ian Whitcomb Interviews Johnny Marks:
Video posted by adamgswanson
I'm afraid that Mr. Marks was being just a wee bit disingenuous there about the inspiration for the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," since it came from a booklet written by his wife's own brother, Robert May. May (who was Jewish, although he did not self-identify as such and indeed actively hid his Jewish background) was an in-house copywriter for Montgomery Ward, and in 1939, in a spectacular display of bad timing, the store asked him to write a Christmas story that they could give away to shoppers to spur holiday sales just as May's wife was dying of cancer. Although upon the death of May's wife his boss suggested he just turn in what he had at that point, May refused and finished the story, reading it to his four-year-old daughter as he went. A little poem booklet titled "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was the result, and it was a spectacular success with the store's customers, with some 6 million copies being distributed in all. Although May got no bonus for the book, Montgomery Ward did eventually turn over the rights to the story to May in 1946/47.
Marks went on to write the song in 1947, and Gene Autry recorded it as a B side in 1949 because his wife liked it (Autry didn't), and it went on to sell 15 million copies, leading to the 1964 TV show, which Marks wrote the score for.
"A Holly Jolly Christmas," sung by Lady Antebellum:
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," sung by Ben Rector (in a slightly less familiar fashion than other covers):
Although he wrote 175 published songs, these three massive hits--and the over twenty other Christmas songs he wrote--led songwriter Johnny Marks to name his music publishing company "St. Nicholas Music." Despite this very public acknowledgment of the importance of Christmas to his career, Marks was Jewish.
Here's a little from the man himself--Ian Whitcomb Interviews Johnny Marks:
I'm afraid that Mr. Marks was being just a wee bit disingenuous there about the inspiration for the song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," since it came from a booklet written by his wife's own brother, Robert May. May (who was Jewish, although he did not self-identify as such and indeed actively hid his Jewish background) was an in-house copywriter for Montgomery Ward, and in 1939, in a spectacular display of bad timing, the store asked him to write a Christmas story that they could give away to shoppers to spur holiday sales just as May's wife was dying of cancer. Although upon the death of May's wife his boss suggested he just turn in what he had at that point, May refused and finished the story, reading it to his four-year-old daughter as he went. A little poem booklet titled "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was the result, and it was a spectacular success with the store's customers, with some 6 million copies being distributed in all. Although May got no bonus for the book, Montgomery Ward did eventually turn over the rights to the story to May in 1946/47.
Marks went on to write the song in 1947, and Gene Autry recorded it as a B side in 1949 because his wife liked it (Autry didn't), and it went on to sell 15 million copies, leading to the 1964 TV show, which Marks wrote the score for.
Well written, informative and always enjoyable.👏
ReplyDeleteThank you! 😊
DeleteAwesome account of the creation of a wonderful song. You are on the nice list!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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