Donald Heywood
| Donald Heywood | |
|---|---|
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| Born |
October 24, 1896 Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Died | January 13, 1967 |
Donald Heywood (24 October 1896 – 13 January 1967) was a Trinidadian-born American songwriter, composer, writer and director. He is best remembered for composing "I'm Coming Virginia" in 1926, which became a hit for Ethel Waters. He became a prominent figure in black musical theater, and produced scores for films such as Moon Over Harlem (1939) and Murder on Lenox Avenue (1941).
Heywood born in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago, in 1896. He showed an aptitude for playing the piano and with other stringed instruments at an early age. Heywood's father, a physician, was intent that his son follow in his footsteps, and sent young Heywood to college at Queens Royal College in Trinidad, and then to Fisk University in Nashville. Heywood studied at Fisk for two years before moving on to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois for medical studies.
During his time at Northwestern, Heywood's interest in music began to take precedence over his medical education. He moved to New York and began studying music at Kordkin Moser Conservatory. In 1923, he got his first professional music-related job. Heywood composed music for The North Ain't South, which was performed at Harlem's Lafayette Theatre.
Heywood was working for RCA Victor by the early 1920s. On 29 August 1923 his "I Want My Sweet Daddy Now" was recorded by Rosa Henderson. On February 2 1926 his "Charleston Ball" was recorded by the Charles Dornberger Orchestra. Heywood is best remembered for composing "I'm Coming Virginia", teaming with Will Marion Cook who added the lyrics. It is often wrongly attributed to vocalist Ethel Waters, who first recorded it on September 18, 1926 on the Columbia Records label with Cook’s Singing Orchestra, though she is credited with popularizing it. Trumpeter Bix Beiderbecke, pianist Fats Waller and the Paul Whiteman Orchestra featuring Bing Crosby all recorded it in 1927. The song has become a jazz standard, popular with Dixieland musicians and was recorded by many other artists including Benny Goodman in 1938.
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