Joe Young was a lyricist

Lyricist

A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...

. He was born in New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. Young was most active from 1911 through the late-1930s, beginning his career working as a singer and songplugger for various music publishers. During World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, he entertained the U.S. Troops, touring Europe as a singer.

The Laugh Parade

For the 1931 Broadway show The Laugh Parade, Young collaborated with co-lyricst Mort Dixon

Mort Dixon

-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...

 and composer Harry Warren

Harry Warren

Harry Warren was an American composer and lyricist. Warren was the first major American songwriter to write primarily for film. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song eleven times and won three Oscars for composing "Lullaby of Broadway", "You'll Never Know" and "On the Atchison,...

  on his most enduring hit "You're My Everything". The show also included:

• "Ooh! That Kiss"
• "Love Me Forever"
• "That Torch Song"
• "Joseph Young III"

Later efforts

• "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town
  In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town
  "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" is a popular song written by Ira Schuster and Jack Little with lyrics by Joe Young, published in 1932. Ted Lewis performed it with his orchestra in the film "The Crooner" in 1932. His version was released as a single and it went to number one, where it remained...
  
  "
• "Lullaby of the Leaves"
• "Snuggled On Your Shoulder, Cuddled In Your Arms"
• "Was That the Human Thing To Do?"
• "Something in the Night"
• "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
• "I'm Growing Fonder of You"
• "You're a Heavenly Thing"
• "Sing an Old Fashioned Song"
• "Dancing with You"
• "Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight"

His last work was the famous Fats Waller

Fats Waller

Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...

 standard "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter

"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" is a 1935 popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Joe Young. It has been recorded many times, and has become a standard of the Great American Songbook....

", written with Fred Ahlert

Fred E. Ahlert

Frederick Emil Ahlert was an American composer and songwriter. He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initially for Irving Aaronson and his Commanders and then for composer and band-leader Fred Waring...

 in 1935.

Joe Young died in New York. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...

in 1970.

External links

• Joe Young's entry at the Songwriters' Hall of Fame