Happy National Stephen Foster Memorial Day! On January 13th, today commemorates the music of the man who composed hundreds of America’s first popular songs.
Born in Lawrenceville, Pitsburgh, Pennsylvania on July 4, 1826, American songwriter Stephen Collins Foster, years later, became known as America’s First Composer. He also became known as "the father of American music". Foster’s catchy tunes were based on minstrel songs of which are still known today.
Despite Foster’s exclusive music contract with Firth, Pond, and Company, when he passed from an accident at the Bellevue Hospital Center in New York, New York on January 13, 1864, he was penniless. Weakened, he had fallen in his hotel in the Bowery, cutting his neck. His partner, American lyricist George Cooper, found him still alive but lying in a pool of blood. Foster was 37.
While Foster’s songs were wildly popular, the lack of copyright protection and alcoholism left him with nothing of value to show for his work.
During his short life, Foster wrote over two hundred songs. His best-known compositions include “Oh! Susanna,” “Camptown Races,” “Old Folks at Home,” “My Old Kentucky Home,” “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” “Old Black Joe,” and “Beautiful Dreamer” are still very popular today.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Read about the life of Stephen Foster or watch a documentary. Check out our suggestions below:
- • “Doo-dah!” (1937) by Ken Emerson
- • “Beautiful Dreamer: The Life of Stephen Collins Foster” (2005) by Ellen Hunter Ulken
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Use #StephenFosterMemorialDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
National Stephen Foster Memorial Day is a United States Federal Observance Day according to Title 36 of the United States Code. It was made law in November of 1966 and was first celebrated in 1967.
#StephenFosterMemorialDay
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