Menu
Home Explore People Places Arts History Plants & Animals Science Life & Culture Technology
On this page
Andy Razaf
American lyricist, composer, poet and vocalist (1895–1973)

Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was the American lyricist of such well-known songs as "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Honeysuckle Rose". He was also a composer, poet and vocalist.

Related Image Collections Add Image
Profiles
1 Image
We don't have any YouTube videos related to Andy Razaf yet.
We don't have any PDF documents related to Andy Razaf yet.
We don't have any Books related to Andy Razaf yet.
We don't have any archived web articles related to Andy Razaf yet.

Biography

Razaf was born in 1895 in Washington, D.C., United States.2 His birth name was Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo. He was the son of Henri Razafinkarefo, nephew of Queen Ranavalona III of the Imerina kingdom in Madagascar, and Jennie Razafinkarefo (née Waller), daughter of John L. Waller, the first African American consul to Imerina.3 The French invasion of Madagascar (1894-95) left Henri dead, and forced pregnant 15-year-old Jennie to escape to the U.S..4 Razaf was raised in Harlem, Manhattan.

At age 16, Razaf quit school and took a job as an elevator operator in a Tin Pan Alley office building. A year later he penned his first song text, embarking on his career as a lyricist. During this time he spent many nights in the Greyhound Lines bus station in Times Square, and picked up his mail at the Gaiety Theatre office building, which was considered the black Tin Pan Alley.5

Some of Razaf's early poems were published in 1917–18 in the Hubert Harrison-edited Voice, the first newspaper of the "New Negro Movement". He was a contributor to and editor of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League's Negro World newspaper.6

Razaf's most important collaborator was Fats Waller. Among the best-known Razaf-Waller songs are "Ain't Misbehavin'", "Honeysuckle Rose", "The Joint Is Jumpin'", "Willow Tree", "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "(What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue". Razaf also worked with other composers including Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, J. C. Johnson, Don Redman and Harry Brooks.7 His songs were played by them and other songwriter-performers, as well as by Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman and many other musicians. He wrote a number of raunchy "character" blues-type songs that were sung by many 1920s female blues singers.[example needed]

Though primarily a lyricist, Razaf wrote both the words and the music of many songs, though none became as well known as his collaborations with other composers.8

Razaf also made many recordings as a vocalist, of both his own songs and others', most in the late 1920s,9 as a soloist (sometimes on ukelele) and with musicians including James P. Johnson and Fletcher Henderson.

He married Annabelle Miller in 1915 but abandoned her within a few years.10 He was married to Jean Blackwell Hutson from 1939 to 194711, to Dorothy Carpenter from 1948 to around 196012, and to Alicia Wilson Georgiade from 1963 until his death.13

In 1972, Razaf was recognized by his Tin Pan Alley peers when he was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.14 He died in North Hollywood, California in February 1973 from renal failure, aged 77.15

Songs

The Songwriters Hall of Fame entry for Andy Razaf lists 215 compositions, giving co-writers and publishers.16 He had many unpublished songs; Singer's biography lists more than 800, published and unpublished (but without giving lyrics). Some notable lyrics include:

See also Category:Songs written by Andy Razaf.

Recordings of Razaf's songs

Although Razaf's songs are found on hundreds of recordings, there are only two albums devoted exclusively to his songs:

  • Maxine Sullivan, A Tribute to Andy Razaf, 1956, produced by Leonard Feather,18 re-issued in 2006 as My Memories of You with two additional non-Razaf tracks.
  • Bobby Short, Guess Who's in Town: Bobby Short Performs the Songs of Andy Razaf, 1987,1920 re-released in 2001 in tandem with Bobby Short Loves Cole Porter.

Poems

  • Wired, Hired, Fired, an expression of grief and sorrow that color bars one fitted to position (that is, one otherwise qualified for, or well suited to the job, is barred on the basis of race).
  • Jack Johnson, touching on defeat with honor.

Bibliography

  • Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf by Barry Singer, Foreword by Bobby Short, ISBN 0-02-872395-3
  • Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs by William Zinsser, David R. Godine Publisher, 2006, ISBN 1-56792-325-9
  • The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America's Great Lyricists by Philip Furia, ISBN 0-19-507473-4
  • Who's Who of the Colored Race, Memento Edition Half-Century Anniversary of Negro Freedom in U.S., reprinted by Gale Research Company, Book Tower Detroit, 1976.

References

  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 2050/1. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  2. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 2050/1. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  3. Bourlin, Olga (November 29, 2015). "Andy Razaf (1895-1973)". Blackpast.org. Retrieved October 6, 2021. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/razaf-andy-1895-1973/ ↩

  4. Zinsser, William (October 6, 2006). Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs. David R. Godine Publisher. p. 71/2. ISBN 9781567923254. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Google Books. 9781567923254 ↩

  5. Ken Bloom (November 11, 2003). Broadway: An Encyclopedia (Second ed.). Routledge. ISBN 0-415-93704-3. 0-415-93704-3 ↩

  6. Bourlin, Olga (November 29, 2015). "Andy Razaf (1895-1973)". Blackpast.org. Retrieved October 6, 2021. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/razaf-andy-1895-1973/ ↩

  7. Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 2050/1. ISBN 0-85112-939-0. 0-85112-939-0 ↩

  8. Singer, Barry (1992). Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf. New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 390–406. ISBN 0-02-872395-3. 0-02-872395-3 ↩

  9. Singer 1992, p. 416-417. - Singer, Barry (1992). Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf. New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 390–406. ISBN 0-02-872395-3. ↩

  10. Singer 1992, p. 158-162. - Singer, Barry (1992). Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf. New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 390–406. ISBN 0-02-872395-3. ↩

  11. Smith, Dinitia (February 7, 1998). "Jean Hutson, Schomburg Chief, Dies at 83 (Published 1998)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 9, 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/07/arts/jean-hutson-schomburg-chief-dies-at-83.html ↩

  12. Singer 1992, p. 321,341. - Singer, Barry (1992). Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf. New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 390–406. ISBN 0-02-872395-3. ↩

  13. Singer 1992, p. 345-346. - Singer, Barry (1992). Black and Blue: The Life and Lyrics of Andy Razaf. New York: Schirmer Books. pp. 390–406. ISBN 0-02-872395-3. ↩

  14. "Songwriters Hall of Fame website". Songwritershalloffame.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20080402040910/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibit_home_page.asp?exhibitId=305 ↩

  15. Bourlin, Olga (November 29, 2015). "Andy Razaf (1895-1973)". Blackpast.org. Retrieved October 6, 2021. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/razaf-andy-1895-1973/ ↩

  16. "Songwriters Hall of Fame website". Songwritershalloffame.org. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20080402040910/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibit_home_page.asp?exhibitId=305 ↩

  17. "Maxine Sullivan : Mound Bayou". YouTube. Retrieved September 5, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxfzgjRUIPA ↩

  18. "A Tribute to Andy Razaf - Maxine Sullivan & Her All-Stars | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2021. https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-tribute-to-andy-razaf-mw0000674600 ↩

  19. Bourlin, Olga (November 29, 2015). "Andy Razaf (1895-1973)". Blackpast.org. Retrieved October 6, 2021. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/razaf-andy-1895-1973/ ↩

  20. "Guess Who's in Town: Bobby Short Performs the Songs of Andy Razaf - Bobby Short | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2021. https://www.allmusic.com/album/guess-whos-in-town-bobby-short-performs-the-songs-of-andy-razaf-mw0000197951 ↩