Idabelle Smith Firestone
{{Short description|American composer and songwriter}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Idabelle Smith Firestone
| image = Idabelle Smith Firestone.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1874|11|10}}
| birth_place = Minnesota City, Minnesota, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1954|07|07|1874|11|10}}
| death_place = Akron, Ohio, U.S.
| spouse = {{marriage|Harvey S. Firestone|1895|1938|end=died}}
}}
Idabelle Smith Firestone (November 10, 1874 {{En dash}} July 7, 1954) was an American composer and songwriter.{{cite news |date=July 8, 1954 |title=Mrs. Harvey Firestone Sr. Dead. Tire Manufacturer's Widow, 79, She Composed Two Theme Songs for the Company's Musical Radio Show |newspaper=New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1954/07/08/archives/mrs-harvey-firestone-sr-dead-tire-manufacturers-widow-79-she.html |access-date=2015-04-23}}
Biography
She was born in Minnesota City, Minnesota, to Eliza B. Allen (1843{{En dash}}1923) and George T. Smith (1841{{En dash}}1921), the youngest of five children.ASCAP Biographical Dictionary. Fourth edition. Compiled for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers by Jaques Cattell Press. New York: R.R. Bowker, 1980. [ASCAP 4]{{Citation|title=Uncommon Friends: Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel, and Charles Lindbergh|author=James Newton|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|year=1989|isbn= 9780156926201|page=42|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=trtC3yH8bI4C&q=idabelle+firestone+bio&pg=PA42}} Her father was the inventor of a flour milling process that turns out "Patent" and "Half Patent" flour.{{Cite book |last=Kenfield |first=Scott Dix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDaCDd9LNhQC |title=Akron and Summit County, Ohio, 1825-1928 |date=1928 |publisher=S.J. Clarke |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Waback |first=Jedidah |date=1921 |title=George T Smith Invention - FamilySearch.org |url=https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/99673208?cid=mem_copy |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=ancestors.familysearch.org}}
She learned to play piano and organ as a girl and studied music at Alma College, Ontario.
On 20 November 1895, she married Harvey Samuel Firestone,"The Origins of the Firestone Family," Firestone Collection, Accession #89.492.1697, Box 2, File Folder 2-6, Benson Ford Research Center, Dearborn, MI."Michigan, County Marriages, 1820-1940," database with images, [https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939V-KH94-ZC?cc=1810350&wc=Q868-NLK%3A150751001%2C151140701%20:%2029%20November%202018 FamilySearch], Wayne > Marriage affidavits, 1895 > image 2280 of 2481; various archives, Michigan. who had begun the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company five years earlier.[http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mysong/p11749.htm "Shirer Family Genealogy Project" ancestry.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102191137/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mysong/p11749.htm |date=2012-11-02 }} 18 October 2010 She was the mother of Harvey S. Firestone Jr., and Leonard Firestone, the grandmother of Brooks Firestone, and the great-grandmother of William Clay Ford Jr., Andrew Firestone, and Nick Firestone.
She was not the only composer in the Firestone family. Her grand{{En dash}}daughter Elizabeth Firestone (b. 1922) composed music for the film Once More, My Darling (1949), which starred Robert Montgomery and Ann Blyth.{{Cite book |last=Grattan |first=Virginia L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vpOfAAAAMAAJ |title=American Women Songwriters: A Biographical Dictionary |date=1993 |publisher=Greenwood Press |isbn=978-0-313-28510-3 |language=en}}
She died in her sleep at her home, Harbel Manor, after a long illness on July 7, 1954, at age 79 in Akron, Ohio.{{cite news |title=Mrs Isabelle Firestone Passes Away After Long Illness July 7 |newspaper=Firestone news |date=July 25, 1954 |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2014236862/1954-07-25/ed-1/seq-1/ }}
Musical career
She became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1948.{{Cite book |last=Publishers |first=American Society of Composers, Authors and |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OaujnQEACAAJ |title=The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary of Composers, Authors and Publishers |date=1966 |publisher=American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers |language=en}}
Her compositions "In My Garden" and "If I Could Tell You" both were featured as theme songs for the program, "Voice of Firestone", a radio and television program of classical music from 1928 until 1959.
"In My Garden", to lyrics by Lester O'Keefe (1896{{En dash}}1977), was the opening and ending theme for the program in January 1938 until 1941 when licensing restrictions caused a temporary ban of its use for broadcasting due to it being ASCAP-licensed.
The new theme, "If I Could Tell You" to lyrics by Madeleine Marshall (1899{{En dash}}1993) was introduced in early 1941. Marshall was a singing coach, concert pianist and accompanist who taught English diction at Juilliard for over half a century.{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|1470088499}} |last1=Cook-Cunningham |first1=Sheri |title=The Many Facets of Madeleine Marshall: A Historical and Cultural Perspective of Madeleine "Graham Jones" Marshall Simon (1899-1993), Author of The Singer's Manual of English Diction |journal=International Journal of Research in Choral Singing |volume=4 |issue=2 |date=Spring 2013 |pages=52–76 }} The ballad was dedicated to her husband who died in 1938 and her daughter, Elizabeth, who died the following year.
Many of Firestone's compositions were published and notated, including four orchestral works and multiple voices. Her work was often recorded and sung by opera singers of the time, including Richard Crooks, Lawrence Tibbet, Eleanor Steber, Robert Merrill, Joan Sutherland, Renata Tebaldi, and Richard Tucker.{{Cite news |last=Callaway |first=Claude C. |date=May 1, 1963 |title=Two Simple Songs |pages=4 |work=Firestone News (Gastonia, N.C.) |url=https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2014236862/1963-05-01/ed-1/seq-4}}
Her eldest son, Harvey S. Firestone Jr. (1898{{En dash}}1973) was responsible for managing much of Firestone's later career, especially in regard to copyright issues and dealings with collaborators.{{Cite web |title=Voice of Firestone |url=https://necmusic.edu/archives/voice-of-firestone |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=necmusic.edu |language=en}}
Legacy
On 10 November 1973, through the support of the Harvey S. Firestone Jr. foundation, the Idabelle Firestone Audio Library was built at 290 Huntington Avenue, to house the Voice of Firestone collection and to provide listening and viewing facilities for the New England Conservatory's students.{{Cite web |title=History of the NEC Library |url=https://necmusic.edu/library/history |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=necmusic.edu |language=en}}
The Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing at Akron City Hospital opened in 1 October 1929, built through Firestone philanthropy to educate women and provide quality, accessible healthcare for all.{{Cite web |title=Akron City Hospital School of Nursing Catalog |url=https://www.summitmemory.org/digital/collection/nursing/id/287/rec/2 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=www.summitmemory.org |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Voice of the People, July 26, 2020: Demolition brings back memories of nursing school |url=https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/opinion/letters/2020/07/26/voice-of-people-july-26-2020-demolition-brings-back-memories-of-nursing-school/42234243/ |website=Akron Beacon Journal }} The school was demolished on 31 July 2020.
After her death, her sons made a sizeable donation to the church for the building of the Idabelle Firestone Memorial Chapel.{{Cite book |last1=Love |first1=Steve |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I_ATAQAAIAAJ |title=Wheels of Fortune: The Story of Rubber in Akron |last2=Giffels |first2=David |date=1999 |publisher=University of Akron Press |isbn=978-1-884836-37-4 |language=en}} The organ from Harbel Manor was redesigned and installed in the chapel.{{Cite web |date=2003-09-27 |title=The History of St. Paul's Akron |url=http://www.boychoirs.org/akron/stpak004.html |access-date=2022-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030927053855/http://www.boychoirs.org/akron/stpak004.html |archive-date=2003-09-27 }} The new chapel was consecrated in April, 1958. Harbel Manor was torn down after Idabelle Firestone died, and the remaining property was sold.
Works
- If I could tell you, for voice and piano (1940) Text: Madeleine Marshall{{Cite book |last1=Firestone |first1=Idabelle |url=https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp-copyright/7160 |title=If I could tell you |last2=Marshall |first2=Madeleine |date=1940 |publisher=G. Schirmer |language=en}}
- In my garden, for voice and piano (1933) Text: Lester O'Keefe{{Cite web |title=In My Garden {{!}} Idabelle Firestone |url=https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/work/45335/In-My-Garden--Idabelle-Firestone/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=www.wisemusicclassical.com |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Firestone |first1=Idabelle |title=In My Garden |date=1933 |publisher=G. Schirmer |oclc=16057944 }}{{Cite web |title=Sheet Music, In My Garden, 1929 |url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/56fb70462162f12550baae67 |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Victorian Collections |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Victor matrix CS-73318. In my garden / Richard Crooks ; William Merrigan Daly |url=https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/800038974/CS-73318-In_my_garden |access-date=2022-11-30 |website=Discography of American Historical Recordings}}
- You are the song in my heart, for voice and piano (1938) Text: Margaret Speaks{{Citation |title=ELEANOR STEBER SINGS - YOU ARE THE SONG IN MY HEART-idabelle firestone 191 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dADdQxfSRbw |language=en |access-date=2022-11-30}}
- Bluebirds, for voice and piano (1941){{Cite book |last=United States Copyright Office |url=https://archive.org/details/CopyrightCards1946-1954/19461954FIRE_G-FIRST_B/page/n671 |title=1946-1954 Copyright Registration Cards (A-N) Page 672 |date=1946}}
- Melody of love, for voice and piano (1945) Text: Madeleine Marshall{{Cite book |last=Office |first=Library of Congress Copyright |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ikkhAQAAIAAJ |title=Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series (Page 957) |date=1974 |language=en}}
- Do you recall?, for voice and piano (1948) Text: Margaret Bristol{{Cite book |last=Library of Congress. Copyright Office. |url=http://archive.org/details/catalogofcopyrig345libr |title=Catalog of Copyright Entries 1950 Published Music Jan-Dec 3D Ser Vol 4 Pt 5A |date=1950 |publisher=U.S. Govt. Print. Off. |others=United States Copyright Office |language=English}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/2014236862/1954-07-25/ed-1/seq-4/ Obituary Article on Firestone news. (Gastonia, N.C.) 1952-197?, July 25, 1954]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Firestone, Idabelle}}
Category:Musicians from Michigan
Category:People from Jackson, Michigan
Category:20th-century American composers
Category:People from Winona County, Minnesota