Walter Donaldson
| Name | Date of Birth | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Walter Donaldson | 15-02-1893 | United States |
Walter Donaldson (February 15, 1893 – July 15, 1947) was a prolific United States popular songwriter, composing many hit songs of the 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.
Walter Donaldson was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a piano teacher. While still in school he wrote original music for school productions, and had his first professional songs published in 1915. The following year he had a hit with "The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady".
During World War I, Donaldson entertained troops at Camp Upton, New York. His time there inspired him to write How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree)?.
After serving in the United States Army in World War I, Donaldson was hired as a songwriter by Irving Berlin Music Company. He stayed with Berlin until 1928, producing many hit songs, then in 1928 established his own publishing company. His company was legally known as "Donaldson, Douglas & Gumble, Inc", but all the publications had Walter Donaldson's name in large letters, and the legal name of the company in fine print.
Donaldson is primarily known as a composer, rather than as a lyricist, although he wrote words and music for dozens of songs. Among the big hits, he wrote both words and music were At Sundown and Little White Lies. In his prolific career, he published some 600 original songs.