— Bartley as Composer —

Dallas Bartley composed music in addition to being a performer. His collection documents his efforts through sheet music, drafts of songs, correspondence and press clippings.

Bartley's best known hit was "Early in the Morning," which he co-wrote with Louis Jordan and Leo Hickman. Written in 1947, this song was made popular by Louis Jordan. In 1971 it was re-made by pop singer Harry Nilsson. More recently it has been used in the Broadway musical Five Guys Named Moe.

"Small Town Boy" was written in Chicago when Dallas Bartley became homesick for Springfield. He later took that name for his own group, which played at various venues, including Chicago's Joe's DeLuxe Club and the Apollo in New York City, from 1943 to 1947.

Madeline Greene was a big band vocalist whose group, Madeline Greene and the Three Varieties, performed and recorded with Earl "Fatha" Hines. Among Dallas Bartley's papers is sheet music for several songs she and Bartley composed together. Also in the collection is a letter written to Bartley from the Hotel Theresa. Located in Harlem, the Hotel Theresa was home to many black musicians through the years. At the time this letter was written, it was managed by the father of Ron Brown, the Clinton cabinet member who was killed in a plane crash while on a mission to Croatia.

"West Side Baby" was originally recorded by Dinah Washington. More recently, T-Bone Walker's version was used in the 1995 movie, Devil in a Blue Dress.

Among Dallas Bartley's papers are various drafts of songs he composed. These two drafts show some of the changes in "Pa's Bad - Ma's Mad - I'm Glad."

 

Bartley wrote lyrics on whatever paper was available, including letterhead from hotels and clubs. The Hotel Watkins gave black musicians and other black travelers a place to stay in a time when most hotels and restaurants were not open to them.

 

 

This online exhibit is from the
Special Collections and Archives Department,
Missouri State University
Springfield, Missouri.
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This exhibit was last updated on May 18, 2006 .