Milton Ager

Biography

Ager was born to a Jewish family in Chicago, Illinois, the sixth of nine children. Leaving school with only three years of formal high-school education, he taught himself to play the piano and embarked on a career as a musician. After spending time as an accompanist to silent movies, he moved to New York City to write music. During World War I he served as a morale officer.

Ager also was a music publisher in partnership with his frequent musical collaborator, lyricist Jack Yellen. He moved to Hollywood where he made a living writing songs for film. On his death, Milton Ager was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Ager was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1979.

In 2007, a revue of Ager's music called Vampin' Lady opened in New Hope, Pennsylvania, performed by singer Joyce Moody under the direction of Earl Wentz and transferred to New York City as part of the American Composer Series.

Family Ager's wife was columnist Cecelia Ager. Ager was the father of columnist Shana Alexander. Ager's niece, Joy Eden Harrison, a singer-songwriter with three albums to her credit, claims his work has been influential on her own musical career.

Songs

Among the best known Milton Ager songs are: "Rockaway Hunt Fox Trot" (1915) "Erin Is Calling" (1916) "Tom, Dick and Harry and Jack (Hurry Back)" (1917) "Everything is Peaches Down in Georgia" (1918), With George W. Meyer "France We Have Not Forgotten You" (1918) "Anything is Nice" (1919) "Freckles" (1919) "There's a Lot of Blue-Eyed Marys Down in Maryland" (1919) "A Young Man's Fancy" (1920) "I'm Nobody's Baby" (1920), his first big hit "Lovin' Sam" (1920) "Who Cares?" (1920) "Stay Away From Louisville Lou" (1923) [also known as "Louisville Lou (That Vampin' Lady)" "Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)" (1924) "I Wonder What's Become of Sally" (1924) "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)" (1924) "I Certainly Could" (1926) "Hard-To-Get Gertie" (1926) "Ain't She Sweet" (1927) "Vo-Do-De-O" (1927) "I Still Love You" (1928) "If You Don't Love Me" (1928) "Oh Baby" (1928) "Glad Rag Doll" (1928) "Happy Days Are Here Again" (1929) "I May Be Wrong" (1929) "Happy Feet" (1930) - a notable version is by Canadian children's entertainer Fred Penner "Some Day We'll Meet Again" (1932) "Trust in Me" (1937)

Works for Broadway include: What's in a Name? (1920) - musical - composer Rain or Shine (1928) - musical - co-composer Murray Anderson's Almanac (1929) - revue - co-composer