Walter Donaldson

Walter Donaldson was an American songwriter and publishing company founder, contributing numerous hit songs from the 1910s to 1940s to the Great American Songbook. Born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of a piano teacher, he published his first professional songs in 1915. His first major hit came in 1918 with 'The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady.' A veteran of World War I, Donaldson entertained troops and found inspiration for one of his hits. Post-war, he worked with Irving Berlin Music Company before starting his publishing company in 1928. Collaborating with Gus Kahn and others, he is best known for composing, yet also wrote lyrics for some of his 600 songs, including 'At Sundown' and 'Little White Lies.' In the late 1920s, he transitioned to Hollywood to compose for films. Donaldson retired in 1943 and died in 1947 in Santa Monica, California`[1]`.