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Stephen C. Foster
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I lived from 1826-1864.
I was from America, and am in the Americas category.
Stephen Foster, American Composer, born July 4, 1826, in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania (now currently apart of Pittsburgh). He was Americas first recognized professional songwriter.
Foster was educated at Allegheny Academy, Athens Academy, Jefferson College and he studied with Pittsburgh music teacher, Henry Kleber.
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Foster’s first toe tapping hit ‘Oh! Susanna’ was written prior to him becoming a professional songwriter, 1850. With many of his songs written while he worked for and with various minstrel show troupes such as, Christy’s Minstrels, Campbell Minstrels and the New Orleans Serenaders.
Most of Foster’s best work being produced between 1850 and 1860, including “Camptown Roses’ (1850), ‘Old Folks at Home’ (1851), “My Old Kentucky Home” (1853), ‘Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair’ (1854), and ‘Old Black Joe’ (1860), with the lyric’s to his songs, described as containing simple harmonies. In his time composing 285 songs, hymns, arrangements, and instrumental works. Although his songs gained him popularity (with many still popular today), making him famous, he was deprived of the riches that usually go along with such success.
Foster married Jane Denny McDowell, who bore him a daughter. Apparently Foster moved to New York, in 1860, where he lived alone in a hotel in Bowery. Alcoholism and poverty took it’s toll, with which after sustaining injuries to his face and neck in a fall, was admitted to Bellevue Hospital where he died, January 13, 1864
(Biography exerpts from: Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corp and RPO)
My poetry
THE morn of life is past,
And ev'ning comes at last;
22 lines, 3 comments
Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
18 lines, 3 comments
I came from Alabama
wid my ban jo on my knee,
40 lines, 4 comments
I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair,
Borne, like a vapor, on the summer air;
24 lines, 1 comment
Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay,
Gone are my friends from the cotton fields away,
18 lines, 1 comment
The sun shines bright in the old Kentucky home,
'Tis summer, the darkies are gay,
36 lines
De Camptown ladies sing dis song -- [Chorus] Doo-dah! doo-dah!
[Solo] De Camp-town race-track five miles long -- [Chorus] Oh!
32 lines
Way down upon de Swanee ribber,
Far, far away,
37 lines
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