Gene Buck

Songwriter ("In the Cool of Evening"), producer, author, director and artist, educated at the University of Detroit and the Detroit Art School. He was an early designer of sheet music covers. In 1907 he came to New York, and designed and directed an act for Lillian Russell. In 1912, he became the chief writer and assistant to Florenz Ziegfeld, lasting to 1926. He composed Broadway stage scores and sketches for thirteen editions of the "Ziegfeld Follies" and two editions of "Ziegfeld's 9 O'Clock Revue", "No Foolin'", and "Zig-Zag" (in London), and he originated and directed eleven editions of the "Ziegfeld Midnight Frolics". He produced and directed the musicals "Yours Truly" and "Take the Air" (for which he also composed the score). He was president of the Catholic Actors Guild, and won an NAACC award. Joining ASCAP as a charter member in 1914, he became an ASCAP director in 1920, lasting to 1957. He served as ASCAP's president from 1924 to 1941. His chief musical collaborator was David Stamper, and he also worked with Rudolf Friml, Jerome Kern, Mischa Elman, Augustus Thomas, Werner Janssen, James Hanley, Ray Hubbell, Victor Herbert and Louis Hirsch. His song compositions include "Daddy Has a Sweetheart (and Mother Is Her Name)", "Hello, Frisco", "Have a Heart", "Hello, My Dearie", "Tulip Time", "Sally, Won't You Come Back?", "Sweet Sixteen", "Sunshine and Shadows", "The Love Boat", "My Rambler Rose", "'Neath the South Sea Moon", "Lovely Little Melody", "No Foolin'", "Florida, the Moon and You", "Some Boy", and "Garden of My Dreams".