Biography
J. Fred Coots composed numerous popular songs that achieved success during the late 1920s and 1930s, among them the enduring “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Subsequent generations saw revivals of his work performed by vocalists such as Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, and Doris Day. He entered the world on May 2, 1897, within Brooklyn, NY. His initial major opportunity arrived via the 1928 composition “Doin’ the Raccoon.” In 1930, Hal Kemp & His Orchestra put out “I Still Get a Thrill Thinking of You,” a number Dinah Shore would later revisit two decades afterward. Coots joined forces with Nick and Charles Kenny to create “Love Letters in the Sand,” which found favor in 1931 before experiencing renewed popularity through Pat Boone’s 1957 rendition, featured also in the film Bernardine. After another three years, he produced “For All We Know” alongside lyricist Sam M. Lewis together with “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” set to words by Haven Gillespie. Eddie Cantor first presented the latter tune via broadcast, leading to interpretations by Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Ozzie Nelson, and Tommy Dorsey. Sheet music sales for this piece exceeded four million copies, marking Coots’ most successful publication in that format. Gillespie and Coots renewed their partnership, resulting in the 1935 hit “A Beautiful Lady in Blue” followed by “You Go to My Head” in 1938. Bea Wain, accompanied by Larry Clinton, delivered the initial performance of “A Beautiful Lady in Blue,” which numerous others subsequently covered.