Edna Alexander (composer)

Alexander was born in Ottumwa, Iowa on March 19, 1892{{cite book |title=ASCAP biographical dictionary |date=1980 |publisher=R.R. Bowker Co. |isbn=978-0-8352-1283-0 |page=397 |url=https://archive.org/details/ascapbiographica00amer_0/page/397/mode/1up |access-date=17 February 2022}}{{cite web |title=Iowa, U.S., Births (series) 1880-1904, 1921-1944 and Delayed Births (series), 1856-1940 |url=https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61441/images/101693733_00458 |website=www.ancestry.com |access-date=18 February 2022}} to parents Mary Ann (née Hamilton) (1868–1916) and Price Alexander.{{cite web |title=Edna Alexander |url=https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8823/images/42563_fp030872_0175-00295?treeid=&personid=&hintid=&queryId=f33ec8b178f150bb49740a3df4ca9807&usePUB=true&_phsrc=oZE225&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true&_ga=2.96267804.1662264936.1628354767-737887298.1578984012&pId=903470078 |website=www.ancestry.com |publisher=Iowa, U.S., Marriage Records, 1880-1951 |access-date=17 February 2022}}{{cite news |title=Personals |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82939856/the-bystander/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=The Bystander |date=15 August 1919 |page=3}} 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.{{cite news |title=Obituary |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95272355/obituary/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=The Bystander |date=30 June 1916 |page=1}}{{cite news |title=Women is Buried From Her Church |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95272392/women-is-buried-from-her-church/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=Ottumwa Tri-Weekly Courier |date=4 July 1916 |page=7}} Her brother, Archie Alexander, later became governor of the Virgin Islands.{{Cite web|last=Major|first=Gerri|date=June 30, 1955|title=Society world|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=17EDAAAAMBAJ&dq=edna+alexander+pinkard&pg=PA41|website=Jet|publisher=|via=Google Books}} She attended North Des Moines High School, graduating in 1911.{{cite news |title=One Leading Character In "The Girls of 1912" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95332029/one-leading-character-in-the-girls-of/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=The Des Moines Register |date=28 November 1911 |page=2}}{{cite news |title=Fifty-nine of the Members of the Graduating Class of the North Des Moines High School |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95333083/fifty-nine-of-the-members-of-the/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=The Des Moines Register |date=18 June 1911 |page=6}}

While living in Des Moines, Iowa, she was a member of the Des Moines Negro Lyceum and sang at various local events.{{cite news |title=Afro-American Happenings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95441928/afro-american-happenings/ |access-date=20 February 2022 |work=The Des Moines Register |date=24 January 1909 |pages=19}}{{cite news |title=City News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95442077/city-news/ |access-date=20 February 2022 |work=The Bystander |date=15 April 1910 |page=1}}{{cite news |title=Afro-American Notes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95441537/afro-american-notes/ |access-date=20 February 2022 |work=The Des Moines Register |date=10 November 1912 |page=15}} In November 1911, she married William Beach at her parents' home in Highland Park, Iowa.{{cite news |title=Alexander-Beach Nupitals |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95334332/alexander-beach-nupitals/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=The Bystander |date=8 December 1911 |pages=1}} Two years later, she filed for divorce from William on the grounds of "cruel and inhumane treatment, and adultery".{{cite news |title=Original Notice |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/95334219/original-notice/ |access-date=18 February 2022 |work=The Bystander |date=21 February 1913 |page=4}}

Alexander later married fellow musician and songwriter Maceo Pinkard in 1917. She used the pseudonym Alex Belledna for songwriting credit work, including on pieces she composed together with her husband.{{cite book |last1=Jasen |first1=David A. |last2=Jones |first2=Gene (Gordon Gene) |title=Spreadin' rhythm around: Black popular songwriters, 1880-1930 |date=1998 |publisher=Schirmer Books; Prentice Hall International |isbn=978-0-02-864742-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/spreadinrhythmar00jase/page/184/mode/2up |access-date=17 February 2022 |pages=185–187}}{{cite book |last1=Leininger-Miller |first1=Theresa |title=Albert Alexander Smith (1896-1940) |date=2021 |page=8 |url=https://issuu.com/msmodular72/docs/albert_alexander_smith_pages |access-date=18 February 2022 |language=en |via=Issuu.com}} 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.

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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83880679/new-plays-loom/|title = New Plays Loom|newspaper = The Cincinnati Enquirer|date = 26 May 1929|page = 79}} The play opened on Broadway on May 14, 1929 at the Belmont Theatre and ran for three performances, closing on May 16, 1929.{{cite book |title=The Black New Yorkers |date=2000 |publisher=John Wiley |isbn=978-0-471-29714-7 |page=205 |url=https://archive.org/details/blacknewyorkerss00dods/page/204/mode/2up |access-date=18 February 2022}}{{cite book |last1=Norton |first1=Richard C. |title=A chronology of American musical theater |date=2002 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-508888-5 |page=576 |url=https://archive.org/details/chronologyofamer0000nort/page/576/mode/2up |access-date=18 February 2022}} Alexander and her husband also owned a music publishing company under their names.{{cite news |title=Stardust Beat |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/82958562/the-new-york-age/ |access-date=19 February 2022 |work=The New York Age |date=6 October 1956 |page=21}}

Alexander died in 1972. 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.{{cite book |last1=Peterson |first1=Bernard L. |title=A century of musicals in black and white : an encyclopedia of musical stage works by, about, or involving African Americans |date=1993 |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=978-0-313-26657-7 |page=259 |url=https://archive.org/details/centuryofmusical0000pete/page/258/mode/2up}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/edna-belle-alexander-86587|title=Edna Belle Alexander – Broadway Cast & Staff | IBDB|website=www.ibdb.com}}

• "Sugar: That Sugar Baby O'Mine" (1926), co-wrote.{{Cite magazine|date=April 28, 1945|title='Candy' infringes on 'Sugar Baby,' Pinkard suit says|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qREEAAAAMBAJ&dq=edna+alexander+pinkard&pg=PT10|magazine=Billboard|publisher=|via=Google Books}}{{Cite book|last1=Pinkard|first1=Maceo|url=https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp-copyright/6961|title=Sugar : That Sugar Baby O'Mine|last2=Alexander|first2=Edna|last3=Mitchell|date=1944|publisher=Robbins Music Corporation|language=en}} Became a hit on an Ethel Waters recording.{{Cite book|last1=Paymer|first1=Marvin E.|last2=Post|first2=Don E.|date=August 6, 1999|title=Sentimental Journey: Intimate Portraits of America's Great Popular Songs, 1920-1945|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_MNtkSqYzpoC&dq=edna+alexander+pinkard&pg=PA121|publisher=Noble House Publishers|page=121|isbn=9781881907091|via=Google Books}}
• "Granny" (1919) - composer, recorded by numerous artists
• "It's Right Here for You" (1920) - composer; debuted in vaudeville with Sophie Tucker, recorded by Mamie Smith and others{{cite book |last1=Jasen |first1=David A. |title=A century of American popular music : 2000 best-loved and remembered songs (1899-1999) |date=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-93700-9 |page=105 |url=https://archive.org/details/centuryofamerica0000jase/page/104/mode/2up |access-date=18 February 2022}}
• "Tain't Nothing But Jazz" (1921) - co-wrote with Maceo Pinkard and William Tracey
• "Make Those Naughty Eyes Behave" (1925)
• "Does My Sweetie Do—And How" (1925) - co-wrote with Sidney Holden and Maceo Pinkard
• "Kitchen Man" (1929) - co-wrote with Andy Razaf, recorded by Bessie Smith
• "Squealin' Pig Blues"{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GKOJchY5x3cC&q=edna+alexander+pinkard|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries. Third Series|first=Library of Congress Copyright|last=Office|date=August 6, 1947|publisher=Copyright Office, Library of Congress.|via=Google Books}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Discogs artist|Edna Alexander}}

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Category:1892 births

Category:1972 deaths

Category:African-American composers

Category:African-American women composers

Category:American musical theatre composers

Category:American sopranos

Category:People from Ottumwa, Iowa

Category:Women musical theatre composers