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George Lawson Spaulding (December 26, 1864 – June 1, 1921) was an American composer, songwriter, and a successful publisher of music. He also composed operettas for children, and easy piano pieces and technical books for elementary level students.
Family and early life
Spaulding was born in Newburgh, New York. Spaulding's mother was Mary Spaulding, née Lee. William Douglas Spaulding, his father, was a pattern maker by trade and also a well known singer in the local area who appeared in amateur comic opera productions. George was a paternal grandson of John D. Spaulding, the founder of the Newburgh Gazette, and the Newburgh Journal. Spaulding studied piano with local teachers, Also in 1883, one of Spaulding's composed songs appeared in a book, with lyrics by his father. This song was called "Sail Ho! (A Sea Song)". Between 1884 and 1885, several other songs were published with George Spaulding as the composer and his father as the lyricist. A piano piece by Spaulding was published in 1884, titled "Jim Blaine's Galop". On the front cover of the sheet music was written "Jim Blaine of Maine. His Galop To The White House". It referred to James G. Blaine, who ended up being narrowly defeated in the 1884 United States presidential election. His piano pieces "Rapido Polka", and "Ocean Beauties: Waltzes", were published in 1884 and 1885 respectively. George Spaulding was the composer and lyricist of "Her Parting Words To Me", in 1885. Also in 1885, he composed the song "He's English And So Sweet", with words by J. W. Turner, and was the composer of a separate piano arrangement of it.
He left the Oliver Ditson Company, and opened a music shop in Brooklyn with George A. Kornder under the firm name of Spaulding & Kornder. By 1888, Spaulding & Kornder had also become music publishers operating from that address. They had success with the publishing of the song "Down Went McGinty", in 1889.
In 1891, under the pseudonym of Henry Lamb, he was the lyricist and composer of "My Mary Green". George sold all the rights of this song to a music publisher named Frank Harding for only $15. It was very popular all over the United States, and also in England. Spaulding and Gray published it in 1893 and the song made $35,000. In the same year, Gray bought the rights to the song "The Fatal Wedding" from Gussie Davis, for just $25 and rewrote it. Spaulding and Gray published it, crediting Davis as the composer and the money generated from the sales of that song, was also extremely high. Among songs that they each composed together and were popular included "The Volunteer Organist", "Carrie (That's My Darling Carrie)", "Take Back the Engagement Ring", and "When You Know The Girl You Love, Loves You". He was elected again to that position on 9 June 1896.
By 1897, Spaulding had set up a business as a music publisher under his own name at 29 East 20th Street, New York. Songs that were written, composed, and published by himself from that address between 1897 and 1900, included "Somebody Has My Heart", "In An Old New England Village By The Sea", and "Pretty Jessie Moore".
George Spaulding also had a great talent for writing simple piano pieces with effective harmony and well defined melodies. Some of the most popular examples of these were:
"Sing, Robin", "Sing - Pretty Little Song Bird", "Airy Fairies", "Child's Good Night", "Dollie's Dream", "June Roses", "Just a Bunch of Flowers", "Mountain Pink" and "Dreaming Poppies". a poet with whom he collaborated. Spaulding died at his home in Roselle Park, New Jersey on June 1, 1921.