Person of the Decade
Over the last 100 years, many people have made significant contributions to arts and culture in Torrington. To celebrate our centennial, we will recognize a person or persons who contributed in each of the last ten decades.
The 1920's
Researched & Written by Edward Cannata
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Our first Person of the Decade - the 1920s made a tremendous contribution to the musical arts, not only in Torrington but throughout our country. He was a charter member of ASCAP, joining in 1917, but more significantly Howard was included in the first group of people in 1970 to be inducted into the Songwriter Hall of Fame.
Howard E. Johnson was born June 2, 1887, in Waterbury, CT. The son of Charles H. Johnson and Mary McNamara, at the age of three Howard with his parents and older sister Mabel moved back to Torrington in 1890. Howard's family roots in Torrington go far back. His father, Charles, was born in Wolcotville (the area that is now downtown Torrington) in 1855. In the early 1880s Charles moved to Waterbury to work for Holmes, Booth & Haydens, a brass, copper and silver manufacturing company. Within a few years, Charles met Mary McNamara; they married and started a family. Howard spent his childhood here, graduating Torrington High School in 1904. Early newspaper accounts describe Howard's early love of music and the piano. Once, a local fraternal group was sponsoring a bazaar here featuring vaudeville acts from New York City. The accompanist failed to appear and Howard took his place, winning him tremendous encouragement and praise. |
Howard E. Johnson*
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After graduation, Howard began to perform locally by giving recitals, although his parents would have preferred he study engineering at Yale University. Instead, Howard chose to pursue a career in music. He remained in Torrington for ten years after graduating high school, traveling to Boston at times to work as a song plugger for Waterson, Berlin and Snyder. Song pluggers played piano in department stores to help sell sheet music. He would also find gigs playing piano in theaters. But it was in 1914 when he moved out of Torrington for good, making his way to the Big Apple, New York City that he began his career in the music industry.
He published his first piece, My Wife is Dancing Mad, in 1914 for Broadway Music Corp. He then was hired by Leo Feist, Inc., one of the premiere publishing companies in the country right in the heart of what was known as "Tin Pan Alley." One of Howard's early songs for Leo Feist was You'd Never Know that Old Town of Mine. Were the lyrics influenced by Howard's own town... Torrington? Howard went on to write many popular hits of the day for Leo Feist, songs like M-O-T-H-E-R, There's a broken heart for every light on Broadway, Ireland must be heaven, for my mother came from there, and many others. |
Edna Leader "Broadway Venus"
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In April 1914, Howard was hired to perform at the 25th Anniversary Dinner of the Marble Industry Employees Association at the McAlpin Hotel in midtown Manhattan. but what is interesting about this is that I believe he may have met the woman who would become his wife, Edna Leader. They are both listed on the roster of performers: Edna a singer and Howard the accompanist, as reported in the New York Press newspaper.
Edna was a popular cabaret singer in Boston and New York. Her career started around 1906 performing in theaters and cabarets. By 1913, she was a regular at the Schlitz Palm Garden in Paragon Park, Nantasket Beach just south of Boston. She would often travel to New York to perform. Perhaps they met prior to 1914 in Boston on one of Howard’s trips and became friends. Perhaps she helped get him the gig? Either way, they fell in love and were married on Christmas Eve 1917 in NYC.
Howard had received his WWI draft notice June of 1917, but instead chose to enlist in the Navy April 1918 for one year, just four short months after marrying Edna. His new bride Edna passed the time by returning to Paragon Park to perform in the summer of 1918.
While in the Navy, Leo Feist sent word to Howard that he wanted a gang song – one a troop of soldiers could sing together – so within days Howard turned out Where Do We Go From Here, not that popular at first but in just a short time it made its way to France and replaced Over There as the song choice preferred by our troops abroad.
Edna was a popular cabaret singer in Boston and New York. Her career started around 1906 performing in theaters and cabarets. By 1913, she was a regular at the Schlitz Palm Garden in Paragon Park, Nantasket Beach just south of Boston. She would often travel to New York to perform. Perhaps they met prior to 1914 in Boston on one of Howard’s trips and became friends. Perhaps she helped get him the gig? Either way, they fell in love and were married on Christmas Eve 1917 in NYC.
Howard had received his WWI draft notice June of 1917, but instead chose to enlist in the Navy April 1918 for one year, just four short months after marrying Edna. His new bride Edna passed the time by returning to Paragon Park to perform in the summer of 1918.
While in the Navy, Leo Feist sent word to Howard that he wanted a gang song – one a troop of soldiers could sing together – so within days Howard turned out Where Do We Go From Here, not that popular at first but in just a short time it made its way to France and replaced Over There as the song choice preferred by our troops abroad.
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When Howard returned from the Navy in April 1919, he and Edna took vacation for the summer in Nantasket Beach; home from war, he relaxed, while she performed for the last time at the Palm Garden. At the end of the summer, they moved back to New York City and Howard picked up where he had left off prior to the war: writing songs.
In 1921, Howard wrote the music for the Broadway show Tangerine, staring Julia Sanderson, which opened on August 9 at the Casino Theatre on Broadway and 39th. Tangerine ran for one full year before closing August 22, 1922. Through the 1920s, Howard wrote hundreds of songs. Many published, many not. In April 1922, Billboard Magazine interviewed Howard and he discussed how he usually writes, on average, two songs per week, with perhaps only twenty of them going on to be published and recorded. In 1924, Howard along with songwriting partner Irving Bibo, wrote an article for the December issue of Billboard Magazine titled Secrets of Songdome, in which they acknowledged how difficult the music writing industry is, but worth it if you believe and stay the course. |
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They dispelled the myth you can get rich writing songs, although he states that, yes, some do reap great reward, but an average working professional songwriter with experience could make between $5,000 and $10,000 per year (which by today’s standards is about $90,000 to $175,000).
In 1927, Howard wrote the lyrics to an extremely popular song, I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream; it was marketed as the next Yes, We Have No Bananas, a huge hit novelty song for many years. Howard did not coin the phrase, though: it appears in print for many years prior to the song, but once coupled with a catchy tune is still listened to today. |
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In December 1927, the trade publications reported Howard and Edna were traveling to visit his parents in Torrington for the holidays. But by my calculations it would also have been the couple’s 10th wedding anniversary.
By 1929, talking movies had taken root in America, exemplified right here in Torrington by Warner Brothers purchasing land on Main Street to build a "State of the Art" Vitaphone-equipped theatre. Howard and Edna in the fall of 1929 headed west, when Howard took a position with MGM Studios as a movie songwriter. They rented a gorgeous apartment on the corner of Stanley Ave. and Hollywood Blvd., just a mile away from the MGM lot. Howard was teamed up with Louis Alter, and together they wrote music for films like Manhattan Serenade (a very early 1930 color short), Remote Control (1930) and a host of others. |
Howard (center looking to his left) at MGM Studios 1931
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Howard and Edna returned from the coast by the end of 1931. Howard continued to write and penned the lyrics to the popular Kate Smith theme song, When the Moon Comes over the Mountain. Straight through the 1930s he continued to write music.
This decade must have been a little bittersweet for the couple, as Edna lost her father Edward Leader in 1935, followed by Howard losing his mother Mary in 1937, and Edna's mom Laura (Kaiser) Leader passed in 1938. Howard and Edna continued to live a comfortable life in Manhattan, with no children.
Sadly, on May 1, 1941, Howard Johnson died at Park West Hospital in Manhattan just shy of 54 years old. Howard is buried in Section C at Hillside Cemetery in Torrington. He is alongside his mother Mary (d. 1937), father (d. 1954), and sister Mabel (d. 1970). Mabel, who never married, worked at the Torrington Library as the assistant librarian for many years.
As for Edna, she never remarried, living in Manhattan for almost the remainder of her life. She died at the Woodhaven Nursing Home in Port Jefferson, Long Island in September 1971. While searching the cemetery records, I happily discovered that she too is buried right next to her husband... But in an unmarked grave.
The members of the Torrington Arts and Culture Commission have decided to right this wrong, and with the assistance of Ciesco Memorials in Torrington, and Hillside Cemetery, we are raising $650 to purchase a grave marker for Edna in a style to match the other Johnson family markers.
If you would like to make a donation, please click the button below. Main Street Torrington, Inc has graciously offered to use their online tools to help us with online donations. 100% of your donation will go towards Edna's grave marker.
This decade must have been a little bittersweet for the couple, as Edna lost her father Edward Leader in 1935, followed by Howard losing his mother Mary in 1937, and Edna's mom Laura (Kaiser) Leader passed in 1938. Howard and Edna continued to live a comfortable life in Manhattan, with no children.
Sadly, on May 1, 1941, Howard Johnson died at Park West Hospital in Manhattan just shy of 54 years old. Howard is buried in Section C at Hillside Cemetery in Torrington. He is alongside his mother Mary (d. 1937), father (d. 1954), and sister Mabel (d. 1970). Mabel, who never married, worked at the Torrington Library as the assistant librarian for many years.
As for Edna, she never remarried, living in Manhattan for almost the remainder of her life. She died at the Woodhaven Nursing Home in Port Jefferson, Long Island in September 1971. While searching the cemetery records, I happily discovered that she too is buried right next to her husband... But in an unmarked grave.
The members of the Torrington Arts and Culture Commission have decided to right this wrong, and with the assistance of Ciesco Memorials in Torrington, and Hillside Cemetery, we are raising $650 to purchase a grave marker for Edna in a style to match the other Johnson family markers.
If you would like to make a donation, please click the button below. Main Street Torrington, Inc has graciously offered to use their online tools to help us with online donations. 100% of your donation will go towards Edna's grave marker.
*Photo of Howard E. Johnson is courtesy of the Torrington Historical Society