Gussie Lord Davis (1863-1899) was a Black American songwriter. Although he had little formal education in music, he became one of the most sought-after songwriters of Tin Pan Alley and was the first Black American songwriter to win international acclaim for his ballads. He relocated from Cincinnati where he had been working as a janitor at the Nelson Musical College to New York in 1890. In 1895, he was awarded second place in the New York World‘s competition for selecting the ten best US songwriters. Approximately 300 of his 600 songs were published, and more than one million copies of his 1896 “In the Baggage Coach Ahead” were sold. His songs spanned numerous genres including sacred, comic, minstrel, and lyrical love songs.
Source
Southern, Eileen. “Davis, Gussie Lord.” Grove Music Online. 11 Feb. 2013
Works Featured on Expanding the Music Theory Canon
Irene, Good Night
Excerpt
Page: Augmented 6th