Mabel Wayne was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

. She is an inductee of 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...

, where she is credited as being the first woman composer to publish a hit song.

She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and studied piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

 in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 and then at the New York School of Music. She performed as a concert pianist and singer, and as a dancer in vaudeville

Vaudeville

Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...

. In 1925, she co-wrote the music to the hit song "Don’t Wake Me Up, Let Me Dream", with lyrics provided by L. Wolfe Gilbert

L. Wolfe Gilbert

Louis Wolfe Gilbert was a Russian-born American songwriter.-Biography:Born in Odessa, Russian Empire, Gilbert moved to the United States as a young man and eventually established himself as one of the leading songwriters on Tin Pan Alley.Gilbert began his career touring with John L...

. She also wrote the hit songs "Ramona

Ramona (song)

"Ramona" is a 1928 song, with lyrics written by L. Wolfe Gilbert and music by Mabel Wayne.-History:It was created as the title song for the 1928 adventure film-romance Ramona . The song was used again in the 1936 remake of the movie...

", also with Gilbert; "In a Little Spanish Town

In A Little Spanish Town

"In a Little Spanish Town" is a popular song published in 1926. The music was written by Mabel Wayne, and the lyrics by Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young....

", with Sam M. Lewis

Sam M. Lewis

Sam M. Lewis was a Jewish-American singer and lyricist, born in New York City, New York as Samuel Levine-Biography:...

 and Joe Young

Joe Young

Joe Young was a lyricist. He was born in New York. 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, he entertained the U.S...

; "It Happened in Monterey", with Billy Rose

Billy Rose

William "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...

; and "I Understand

I Understand (1941 song)

"I Understand" is a popular song with music by Mabel Wayne and lyrics by Kim Gannon, published in 1941.It has been recorded by Dave Brubeck, Nat "King" Cole, Ray Conniff, Jimmy Dorsey, The Four Aces, and Frank Sinatra....

", with Kim Gannon

Kim Gannon

James Kimball "Kim" Gannon was an American songwriter, more commonly a lyricist than a composer. He was born in Brooklyn, New York but grew up in New Jersey where he attended Montclair High School and was a member of The Omega Gamma Delta Fraternity. He graduated from St...

. She was particularly noted for her Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

-tinged songs. She wrote songs for the 1930 film King of Jazz

King of Jazz

King of Jazz is a 1930 motion picture starring Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. The film's title was taken from Whiteman's controversial, self-conferred appellation...

, and later wrote for British films, including Dance Band

Dance Band

Dance Band is a 1935 British musical film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Charles 'Buddy' Rogers, June Clyde and Steven Geray. Its plot concerns two dance bands who develop an intense rivalry with each other during a competition.-Cast:...

(1935).

Mabel Wayne was inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. She died at Glen Cove, Long Island

Long Island

Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...

, in 1978 at the age of 73.