J. Fred Coots

{{Short description|American songwriter (1897–1985)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = J. Fred Coots | image = John Frederick Coots.jpg | caption = | image_size = | background = non_performing_personnel | birth_name = John Frederick Coots | alias = J. Fred Coots Fred Coots | birth_date = {{birth date|1897|5|2|mf=y}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1985|4|8|1897|5|2}} | death_place = [[New York City]], U.S. | origin = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S. | instrument = Piano | genre = [[Tin Pan Alley]] | occupation = [[Composer]] | years_active = | label = | website = }}

'''John Frederick Coots''', better known as '''J. Fred Coots''' or '''Fred Coots''', (May 2, 1897 – April 8, 1985) was an American [[songwriter]].<ref name="NYS 1930 Apr 6" /> He composed more than 700 popular songs and more than a dozen [[Broadway show]]s. In 1934, Coots wrote the melody with his then chief collaborator, lyricist [[Haven Gillespie]], for the biggest success of either man's career, "[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]."<ref name="Annual Obits 1985" /><ref name="Bio Index" /><ref name="Harrison 1998" /><ref name="NYTs bio service 1986" /> The song became one of the biggest sellers in American history.<ref name="Whitburn" />

In 1934, when Gillespie brought him the lyrics to "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town", Coots developed the outline of the melody in just ten minutes. Coots took the song to his publisher, [[Leo Feist]], who liked it but thought it was "a kids' song" and didn't expect too much from it.<ref name="Kiwanis Mag Dec 1956" /> Coots offered the song to [[Eddie Cantor]] who used it for his radio show that November and it became an instant success. The morning after the radio show there were orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music and by Christmas sales had passed 400,000.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

== Biography == Coots was born in 1897 in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York (state)|New York]]<ref name="Coots place of birth" group=upper-alpha />When he was 17 years old, he began to work for Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. in New York<ref name="Billboard 1950 Mar 18" />In 1916, his first successful song was published, "Mr. Ford You've Got The Right Idea," words by [[Ray Sherwood]], music by Coots; [[A. J. Stasny Music Co.]], publisher {{OCLC|726927577}}<ref name="Billboard 1950 Mar 18" /> In 1919, actor-producer [[Eddie Dowling]] gave Coots his first chance at writing a musical score for [[New York Friars Club|Friars' Frolics]]. In 1922, [[Eddie Dowling|Dowling]] commissioned Coots to write the songs for ''Sally, Irene and Mary,'' a show which ran for two years on Broadway. In 1928, he wrote "Doin' The Raccoon". He relocated to Los Angeles the next year. In 1931, he wrote. "[[Love Letters in the Sand]]" In 1934, he wrote the songs "[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]" (more than 4 million copies of sheet music sold) and "[[For All We Know (1934 song)|For All We Know]]" In 1940, he wrote "[[History of the New York Rangers#Victory song|The Rangers' Victory Song]]";<ref name="Copyright Cat 1940 35 4" group=lower-roman /> {{OCLC|812404397}} He married Marjorie Decker Jennings on February 18, 1924, in [[Manhattan]].<ref name="Coots place of birth" group=upper-alpha /> He died in 1985 in a [[New York City]] hospital, after a lengthy illness<ref>{{Cite web |date=1985-04-11 |title=Obituaries |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/04/11/OBITUARIES/3440482043600/ |access-date=2025-11-01 |publisher=[[United Press International]] |place=New York}}</ref>

== Selected songs == * "[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]," words by [[Haven Gillespie]], music by Coots :: [[Leo Feist, Inc.]], publisher (1934); {{OCLC|21070165|11064929}} :: © September 27, 1934, Class E unpublished 93634, [[Leo Feist, Inc.]], New York<ref name="Copyright Cat E93634" group=lower-roman /> :: © October 23, 1934, Class E published 44456, October 25, 1934, [[Leo Feist, Inc.]]<ref name="Copyright Cat E44456" group=lower-roman /> :: © Renewal September 27, 1961, R28248025, Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots :: © Renewal October 25, 1961, R283907, Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots<ref name="1961 R 283907" group=lower-alpha />

* "[[You Go to My Head]]," words by [[Haven Gillespie]], music by Coots :: [[Jerome H. Remick|Remick Music]] (1938); {{OCLC|44053966|858643370}}

* "[[Louisiana Fairy Tale]]," words and music by [[Mitchell Parish]], [[Haven Gillespie]], and Coots :: [[Mills Music]] (1935); {{OCLC|27211518}} :: © April 5, 1935, Class E 47450, [[Irving Mills|Mills Music, Inc.]], New York<ref name="Copyright Cat 1935 30 4" group=lower-roman />

* "[[For All We Know (1934 song)|For All We Know]]," words by [[Sam M. Lewis]], music by Coots :: [[Leo Feist, Inc.]] (1934); {{OCLC|21070175|40509506}} :: © March 14, 1934, Class E unpublished 84751, [[Leo Feist, Inc.]], New York<ref name="Copyright Cat 1934 29 3" group=lower-roman />

* "I Still Get a Thrill (Thinking of You)," words by [[Benny Davis]], music by Coots :: Davis, Coots & Engel<ref name="Engel bio" group=upper-alpha /> (1930); {{OCLC|13168438}}

* "There's Honey On The Moon Tonight," words by [[Haven Gillespie]] and Mack Davis, music by Coots :: [[Miller Music Publishing Co.|Miller Music, Inc.]] (1938); {{OCLC|22925119}}

== Selected musicals == * ''Sally, Irene and Mary'', music by Coots, words by Raymond W. Klages (1888–1947), March 23, 1925 – April 4, 1925 & September 4, 1922 – June 2, 1923 {{OCLC|498812201|498526150}} # "Kid Days" {{OCLC|}} # "Time Will Tell" {{OCLC|39975531|224102588}} # "Pals" # "Stage Door Johnnies" # "I Wonder Why" {{OCLC|20597875}} # "Do You Remember?" # "How I've Missed You Mary" {{OCLC|891128783}} # "Right Boy Comes Along" # "Our Home Sweet Home" # "Peacock Alley" # "Something in Here" # "Opportunity" # "We Are Waiting" # "Clouds Roll By" {{OCLC|498831287}} # "Until You Say Yes" # "Wedding Time" # "Old Fashioned Gown" {{OCLC|755811220|498526150}} # "When a Regular Boy Loves a Regular Girl" {{OCLC|755811215|497282681}} # "Up on Fifth Avenue Near Central Park" # "Jimmy" {{OCLC|497894150}}

* ''[[Sons O' Guns]],'' music by Coots, November 26, 1929 – August 9, 1930 * ''Broadway Nights'', featuring songs by Coots, July 15, 1929 – August 17, 1929 * [[George White's Scandals]], musical review, featuring songs by Coots, July 2, 1928 – January 19, 1929 * ''White Lights'', music by Coots, October 11, 1927 – November 5, 1927 * ''Gay Paree,'' musical review, music and lyrics by Coots, November 9, 1926 – April 9, 1927 & August 18, 1925 – January 30, 1926 * ''A Night in Paris'', musical review, music by Coots, July 26, 1926 – October 30, 1926 & January 5, 1926 – July 10, 1926 * ''The Merry World'', musical review, music by Coots, June 8, 1926 – August 21, 1926 * ''Mayflowers'', music by Coots, November 24, 1925 – January 30, 1926 * ''June Days'', musical, music by Coots, August 6, 1925 – October 17, 1925 * ''Artists and Models'', musical review, music by Coots, June 24, 1925 – May 7, 1926 * ''Artists and Models'', musical review, music by Coots, October 15, 1924 – May 23, 1925 * ''Innocent Eyes'', musical review, additional music by Coots, May 20, 1924 – August 30, 1924 * ''[[Dew Drop Inn (musical)|Dew Drop Inn]]'', musical comedy, featuring songs by Coots, May 17, 1923 – August 25, 1923 * ''Spice of 1922'', musical review, music by Coots, July 6, 1922 – September 9, 1922

== External links == * {{IBDB name|name=J. Fred Coots}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20081206202127/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C45 Entry at Songwriters Hall of Fame (includes a complete list of compositions)] * [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106489 J. Fred Coots recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]].

== Notes and references == '''Notes''' {{reflist|group=upper-alpha|50em|refs= <ref name="Coots place of birth" group=upper-alpha>Several biographies state that John Frederick Coots was born in [[Brooklyn]]. He married Marjorie Decker Jennings on February 18, 1924, in [[Manhattan]]. Their marriage license states that he was born in Brooklyn. Also, his World War I Draft Registration Card states that he was born in Brooklyn. However, an April 6, 1930, ''[[New York Times]]'' article, "In the Spotlight's Glare," states that he was born in [[Keene, New Hampshire]]. </ref>

<ref name="Engel bio" group=upper-alpha>Harry Engel (1894 [[Vienna, Austria]] – 1965 [[Los Angeles]]) had been a sheet music traveling salesman for Richmond-Robbins, Inc. — Maurice Aaron Richmond (1878–1965) and nephew, John J. (Jack) Robbins (1894–1959) — then Robbins-Engel, Inc., the Irving Berlin; then after his affiliation with Davis, Coots & Engel, Inc., he later became head of West Coast Operations for [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]] </ref>

}}

'''Original copyrights''' : ''[[Catalog of Copyright Entries]], Part 3 Musical Compositions, New Series'', [[Library of Congress]], [[United States Copyright Office|Copyright Office]] {{reflist|group=lower-roman|refs=

<ref name="Copyright Cat E93634" group=lower-roman>[https://archive.org/stream/catalogofcopyrig293libr#page/893/mode/2up Vol. {{space|1}}29, No. 9], 1934, pg. 892</ref>

<ref name="Copyright Cat E44456" group=lower-roman>[https://archive.org/stream/catalogofcopyrig293libr#page/990/mode/2up/search/44456 Vol. {{space|1}}29, No. 9], 1934, pg. 990</ref>

<ref name="Copyright Cat 1935 30 4" group=lower-roman>[https://books.google.com/books?id=pT1jAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA406 Vol. {{space|1}}30, No. 4], 1935, pg. 406</ref>

<ref name="Copyright Cat 1934 29 3" group=lower-roman>[https://books.google.com/books?id=TzhjAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA245 Vol. {{space|1}}30, No. 3], 1935, pg. 246</ref>

<ref name="Copyright Cat 1940 35 4" group=lower-roman>[https://books.google.com/books?id=tCVjAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA569 Vol. {{space|1}}35, No. 4], 1940, pg. 569</ref> }}

'''Copyright renewals''' : ''[[Catalog of Copyright Entries]], Part 3, Musical Compositions, Third Series'', [[Library of Congress]], [[United States Copyright Office|Copyright Office]] {{reflist|group=lower-alpha||refs=

<ref name="1961 R 283907" group=lower-alpha>[https://archive.org/stream/catalogofcopyrig3155libr#page/1706/mode/2up Vol. {{space|1}}15, Part 5, No. 2], July–December 1961, pg. 246, pg. 1706</ref>

}}

'''Inline citations''' {{Reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="Annual Obits 1985">''The Annual Obituary,'' Margot Levy (ed.), [[St. James Press]] (1985); {{OCLC|153294307}}</ref>

<ref name="Bio Index">''[[Biography Index]],'' [[H.W. Wilson Co.]]; {{ISSN|0006-3053}} {{Space|5}}Vol. 14: Sep. 1984 – Aug. 1986 (1986); {{OCLC|30457106}} {{Space|5}}Vol. 15: Sep. 1986 – Aug. 1988 (1988); {{OCLC|30326307}} {{Space|5}}Vol. 16: Sep. 1988 – Aug. 1990 (1990); {{OCLC|30326352}}</ref>

<ref name="Harrison 1998">''Songwriters: A Biographical Dictionary with Discographies'', by Nigel Harrison, [[Jefferson, North Carolina]]: [[McFarland & Co.]] (1998); {{OCLC|38964064}}</ref>

<ref name="NYTs bio service 1986">''The New York Times Biographical Service,'' Vol. 16, Nos. 1–12, [[Ann Arbor]]: [[University Microfilms International]] (1985); {{ISSN|0161-2433}}</ref>

<ref name="NYS 1930 Apr 6">"In the Spotlight's Glare," ''[[New York Times]],'' April 6, 1930</ref>

<ref name="Kiwanis Mag Dec 1956">"The Story of the song 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,'" ''The Kiwanis Magazine'' December 1956; {{ISSN|0023-1975}} ([http://www.kiwanis.org/magazine/1205mmaclause.asp excerpt])</ref>

<ref name="Whitburn">''Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories, 1890–1954,'' [[Record Research]] (1986); {{OCLC|15252908}}</ref>

<ref name="Billboard 1950 Mar 18">[https://books.google.com/books?id=OwEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40 "Honor Roll of Hits,"] [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]], March 18, 1950</ref>

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coots, J. Fred}} [[Category:1897 births]] [[Category:1985 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American composers]] [[Category:20th-century American male composers]] [[Category:20th-century American songwriters]] [[Category:Broadway composers and lyricists]] [[Category:Musicians from Brooklyn]] [[Category:Songwriters from New York (state)]]