Alfred Baldwin Sloane, often given as A. Baldwin Sloane, (28 August 1872, Baltimore â 21 February 1925, Red Bank, New Jersey) was the most prolific songwriter for Broadway musical comedies in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Despite his output and success during his lifetime, none of his music has had enduring popularity. Two of his most popular songs were "When You Ain't Got No Money You Needn't Come Around" and "Coming Through the Rye". His most successful hit tune was âÂÂHeaven Will Protect the Working Girl" which was first performed by Marie Dressler in the 1910 show Tillie's Nightmare.
Alfred Baldwin Sloane was born in Baltimore, Maryland on August 28, 1872. He was the son of Francis James Sloane and Emma Sloane (née Baldwin); both of whom came from families with musical heritage. His first music lessons were from his mother, and he also studied privately with music teachers in his native city. Despite the strong music background of his parents, they strongly objected to him pursuing a career in music.
Sloane was educated in the Baltimore City Public School System. His parents wished him to pursue a career in business, and in his youth he worked in his native city as an apprentice at a wholesale dry goods dealer. He lost his job there after spending most of his time at work surreptitiously composing music on boxes and other miscellaneous items. He also worked nights as an usher at the Academy of Music, and spent some time as the secretary for a company managing a Baltimore cemetery.
Sloane's interest in lyric theatre led him to take a leading role in the founding of an amateur dramatic group in Baltimore, the Paint and Powder Club (PPC). The club originally began in 1892 at the Maryland Banjo and Mandolin Club with Sloane, Harry Price, Rowland West, and Reece Cassard as its founding members. The club expanded its scope and was transformed into the PPC not long after. Sloane's first songs were written for amateur productions in Baltimore with this group. His first score was written the PPC's production Mustapha; an opera for which Sloane wrote both the music and libretto. It was given its premiere in February 1894 at Ford's Grand Opera House with Sloane himself portraying the title role of the Turkish sultan.
One of Sloane's first songs, "While Strolling Through the Forrest", was published in 1894. In 1895 he ended his connection with the PPC, and founded another amateur Baltimore performing group, the Rouge et Blanc Club. He wrote his second stage work for this group, the burlesque Midas, which was given its premiere at Albaugh's Lyceum Theatre on 5 February 1895 with Sloane once again portraying the title role. His brother, Francis James Sloane Jr., was also in the cast in the role of Antinous.
Sloane moved to New York City not long after the premiere of Midas in Baltimore in 1895. The theatre impresario Edward E. Rice caught a performance of the work while in Baltimore with a touring show he was producing, Robert Barnet's 1492. Impressed by what he heard, he met with Sloane and bought the rights to Midas from him. A number of his songs form this work were interpolated into Rice's next musical Excelsior, Jr.. These included the songs "The Alpine Horn", "Grandpa's Hat", "Hush, Silence", "I Love You Evaline; I'm a Very Fly Conductor", and "My Little Sunday Girl" among others.
The success of Excelsior, Jr., first in Boston and later on Broadway, launched Sloane's career in the New York theatre scene. His first original score for the Broadway stage was in 1896 with the musical Jack and the Beanstalk; a work which featured several well known fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters. It too used lyrics by Barnet and was mounted at the Casino Theatre by producers Klaw and Erlanger. The work was very successful financially between its run in New York and a subsequent national tour, and significantly raised the profile and popularity of actress Madge Lessing in the title role of Jack.
In New York, Sloane quickly adapted his compositional style to what was then the current trend of the Tin Pan Alley publishing houses; a shift which enabled him to be gainfully employed by having his songs interpolated into shows both on the musical stage and in vaudeville. These included several songs by Sloane incorporated into the musical Papa's Wife (1899) which starred Anna Held. His first big hit was the 1898 song "When You Ain't Got No Money, (Well You Needn't Come Round)" which was popularized on the stage by May Irwin. His biggest success as a songwriter was the tune "Heaven Will Protect the Working Girl," which Marie Dressler introduced in Tillie's Nightmare (1910), but none of his songs found enduring popularity.
In 1900 he married Mae Auwerda. His most successful work as a composer in terms of quality was The Mocking Bird (1902).
After 1912, Sloane's composition output declined as he embarked on a second successful career as an exhibition dancer. He did provide much of the music for The Greenwich Village Follies of 1919 and The Greenwich Village Follies of 1920. He wrote one of his musicals, Lady Teazle, for Lillian Russell when she was at the height of her national popularity. His last score, for the 1925 Broadway production China Rose, was in production at the time of his death. China Rose had been produced in Boston, by Christmas Eve, 1924.
While in the home of his daughter, Mrs. June H. Brackett, Alfred Baldwin Sloane died of heart disease at the age of 52 in Red Bank, New Jersey on 21 February 1925.
At the time of his death, Sloane was the president of Composers' Publishing Company and vice president of Authors and Composers Publishing Company.
He was a member of The Lambs, the Green Room Club, and Old Strollers. He married Lucille Mae Auwerda in Manhattan on February 15, 1900. They had one daughter â June Augusta Sloane (1901âÂÂ1984) â who married Isaac Hosford Brackett (1901âÂÂ1976).
Soundtrack
Writer
Self
William Pilling, New York (publisher)
Joseph W. Stern & Co., New York
Charles K. Harris, Chicago