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Edna Alexander (composer)

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Not to be confused with the Canadian-born singer, Edna Alexander.
Edna Alexander
Grainy, black and white head shot of a woman looking toward the camera and slightly smiling
Alexander in 1911
Born
Edna Belle Alexander

(1892-03-19)March 19, 1892
Ottumwa, Iowa, U.S.
Died1972 (aged 79–80)
Other namesAlex Belledna

Edna Belle Alexander (1892–1972) was an American soprano singer and music composer. In addition to performing, she became a songwriter and published music under the name Alex Belledna.[1][2]

Biography

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Alexander was born in Ottumwa, Iowa on March 19, 1892[3][4] to parents Mary Ann (née Hamilton) (1868–1916) and Price Alexander.[5][6][7] Edna had eight siblings, including four sisters and four brothers, named James Leonard, Archie A., Mary Colleen Jones, Harriet Louise, Leland Russell, Harold Creighton, Ida Helen, and Doris Elaine.[7][8] Her brother, Archie Alexander, later became governor of the Virgin Islands.[9] She attended North Des Moines High School, graduating in 1911.[10][11]

While living in Des Moines, Iowa, she was a member of the Des Moines Negro Lyceum and sang at various local events.[12][13][14] In November 1911, she married William Beach at her parents' home in Highland Park, Iowa.[15][10] Two years later, she filed for divorce from William on the grounds of "cruel and inhumane treatment, and adultery".[16]

Alexander later married fellow musician and songwriter Maceo Pinkard in 1917.[5] She used the pseudonym Alex Belledna for songwriting credit work, including on pieces she composed together with her husband.[17][18] Under the name "Alex Belledna", she composed the song "It's Right Here for You (If You Don't Get It—Tain't No Fault of Mine)", which was included on the 1920 record Crazy Blues, recorded by Okeh Records and sung by Mamie Smith. A rarity for the early 1900s, the song was created by a team of black women, as Alexander co-wrote the song with lyricist Marion Dickerson.[18]

Alexander and her husband collaborated on the 1929 musical novelty show Pansy which had an unfavorable reception upon its debut and quickly closed, despite a well received song performed by Bessie Smith.[19] The play opened on Broadway on May 14, 1929 at the Belmont Theatre and ran for three performances, closing on May 16, 1929.[20][21] Alexander and her husband also owned a music publishing company under their names.[22]

Alexander died in 1972.[18] Her music was later included in the musical retrospective, One Mo' Time, which ran from 1979 to 1987, and the 2002 show Blues in the Night.[23][24]

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ "Alexander, Edna - Discography of American Historical Recordings". adp.library.ucsb.edu.
  2. ^ Humanities, National Endowment for the (15 August 1919). "Personals". The Bystander. p. 3. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  3. ^ ASCAP biographical dictionary. R.R. Bowker Co. 1980. p. 397. ISBN 978-0-8352-1283-0. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Iowa, U.S., Births (series) 1880-1904, 1921-1944 and Delayed Births (series), 1856-1940". www.ancestry.com. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Edna Alexander". www.ancestry.com. Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Personals". The Bystander. 15 August 1919. p. 3. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Obituary". The Bystander. 30 June 1916. p. 1. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Women is Buried From Her Church". Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier. 4 July 1916. p. 7. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  9. ^ Major, Gerri (June 30, 1955). "Society world". Jet – via Google Books.
  10. ^ a b "One Leading Character In "The Girls of 1912"". The Des Moines Register. 28 November 1911. p. 2. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Fifty-nine of the Members of the Graduating Class of the North Des Moines High School". The Des Moines Register. 18 June 1911. p. 6. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Afro-American Happenings". The Des Moines Register. 24 January 1909. p. 19. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  13. ^ "City News". The Bystander. 15 April 1910. p. 1. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Afro-American Notes". The Des Moines Register. 10 November 1912. p. 15. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Alexander-Beach Nupitals". The Bystander. 8 December 1911. p. 1. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  16. ^ "Original Notice". The Bystander. 21 February 1913. p. 4. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h Jasen, David A.; Jones, Gene (Gordon Gene) (1998). Spreadin' rhythm around: Black popular songwriters, 1880-1930. Schirmer Books; Prentice Hall International. pp. 185–187. ISBN 978-0-02-864742-5. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  18. ^ a b c Leininger-Miller, Theresa (2021). Albert Alexander Smith (1896-1940). p. 8. Retrieved 18 February 2022 – via Issuu.com.
  19. ^ "New Plays Loom". The Cincinnati Enquirer. 26 May 1929. p. 79.
  20. ^ The Black New Yorkers. John Wiley. 2000. p. 205. ISBN 978-0-471-29714-7. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  21. ^ Norton, Richard C. (2002). A chronology of American musical theater. Oxford University Press. p. 576. ISBN 978-0-19-508888-5. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Stardust Beat". The New York Age. 6 October 1956. p. 21. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  23. ^ Peterson, Bernard L. (1993). A century of musicals in black and white : an encyclopedia of musical stage works by, about, or involving African Americans. Greenwood Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-0-313-26657-7.
  24. ^ "Edna Belle Alexander – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  25. ^ "'Candy' infringes on 'Sugar Baby,' Pinkard suit says". Billboard. April 28, 1945 – via Google Books.
  26. ^ Pinkard, Maceo; Alexander, Edna; Mitchell (1944). Sugar : That Sugar Baby O'Mine. Robbins Music Corporation.
  27. ^ Paymer, Marvin E.; Post, Don E. (August 6, 1999). Sentimental Journey: Intimate Portraits of America's Great Popular Songs, 1920-1945. Noble House Publishers. p. 121. ISBN 9781881907091 – via Google Books.
  28. ^ Jasen, David A. (2002). A century of American popular music : 2000 best-loved and remembered songs (1899-1999). Routledge. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-415-93700-9. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  29. ^ Office, Library of Congress Copyright (August 6, 1947). "Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series". Copyright Office, Library of Congress. – via Google Books.
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