Robert Levenson (July 19, 1897 – April 26, 1961) was an American lyricist active in Boston in the late 1910s.

Biography

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Robert Levenson was born in Boston to Samuel and Paulina Levenson, immigrants from Russia and Austria respectively.[1] Samuel was a tailor and shoemaker, and his son eventually took up a career in the clothing business. After attending Boston Latin School, Robert went to Harvard, graduating in 1917.[2] He subsequently moved to New York City, married Evelyn Lippmann, from Edgemere (Queens), and worked his way up in the business world; at his death he was a partner in the Purl Knit Sales Company.[3] He was very active in his local community, Lawrence, Long Island, and in many Jewish societies; a remarkably large number of tributes appeared in The New York Times in the days following his death in Lawrence.

Lyricist work

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Between 1914 and 1925 Levenson wrote lyrics for at least thirty-five songs, on a few of which he was also credited with composing the music, usually in collaboration. Early collaborations, with Vincent Plunkett, were issued by D. W. Cooper. A third of his copyright registrations occurred in 1919, and very few appear after 1920. He was an amateur performer as well, usually in events organised by Jewish societies.[4] His noteworthy contributions include lyrics for E. E. Bagley’s celebrated march, “National emblem” (1918), "The Angel God Sent from Heaven,"[5] three flower-bedecked World War I songs, "My Belgian Rose," "Salvation Rose," and “When the Lilies Bloom in France Again”; and a briefly but vigorously promoted “sob” ballad, “Little by little you’re breaking my heart.” All but a few titles were issued by Boston publishers, though "My Belgian Rose" was taken up by Leo Feist.

References

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  1. ^ U. S. Federal Census, 1900, 1910, 1920; The Harvard Freshman Red Book, 1917 (Cambridge, n.p., n.d.), p. 53.
  2. ^ The Harvard Freshman Red Book, 1917 (Cambridge, n.p., n.d.), p. 53.
  3. ^ “Local Lines,” Boston Daily Globe, January 25, 1925, p. A48; “Robert Levenson,” The New York Times, April 29, 1961, p. 23.
  4. ^ ”Y. M. H. Association in Annual Minstrel Show,” Boston Daily Globe, April 25, 1918, p. 3.
  5. ^ "The Angel God Sent from Heaven". Digital Collections at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library. Retrieved 2024-09-14.