Existing comment:
George's First International Hit:
In 1919 George and lyricist Irving Caesar (1895-1996) wrote "Swanee," in an effort to capitalize on the now-forgotten one-step hit, "Hindustan," by Oliver Wallace and Harold Weeks. Muriel DeForrest introduced "Swanee" in the Capitol Revue, the inaugural production at New York's lavish 4,000-saet Capitol Theatre, but the song attracted little notice. A few months later, Al Jolson heard it at a party and added it into his current show, Sinbad. The song was an immediate sensation, and it established George's international reputation. |