Joseph P. Skelly Explained

Joseph P. Skelly
Birth Date:	29 July 1850
Birth Place:	Ireland
Death Place:	New York City, New York, U. S.
Occupation:	Composer

Joseph Paul Skelly, also abbreviated J. P. Skelley, (29 July 1850 – 23 June 1895) was a composer of music.^{[1] [2]} He arranged the music for songs published as sheet music. For other songs he composed the words and music. The Lester S. Levy Sheet Music Collection at Johns Hopkins University has sheet music for many of the songs he composed. The Library of Congress has several of his works in its collection.^[3]

Skelly was born in Ireland and died in New York City. He wrote more than 1,000 songs.^[4]

His song "Little Darling, Dream of Me" was recorded by the Climax Quartet on Climax Records (an early Columbia Records label).^[5] He wrote the song "A Boy's Best Friend Is His Mother".^[6] It was sung by William Raymond of Thatcher, Primrose and West's Minstrels.^[7] Vernon Dalhart recorded the song at Columbia Records in 1925.^[8]

He wrote the 1876 comical Irish musical sketch The Hash Brigade.^{[9] [1]} Various artists including Ernest Pike and Elizabeth Spencer recorded his songs on cylinders in the decades after his death.^[10]

Recorded works

• "Aint You Awful! (1874)^[11]
• "He Isn't a Marrying Man" (1875)^{[12] [13]}
• "Fifth Avenue George" (1876)^[14]
• "My Pretty Red Rose" (1877)
• "I Should Say So!" (1877)^[15]
• "My Love's a Big Drum Major" (1877)^[16]
• "Why Did They Dig Ma's Grave So Deep?" (1880)
• "Goldilocks, Grandpa's Darling. Ballad." (1880)
• "The Dandy Coon's Parade" (1880)^[17]
• "Keep the Horseshoe Over the Door" (1880)^[18]
• "Since James Put on High Collars" (1880)^[19]
• "The Boogie Man" (1880)^[20]
• "Are You Going to the Ball This Evening?" (1881)
• "Baby's Empty Cradle" (1881)
• "The Old Rustic Bridge by the Mill" (1881)
• "Far From the Old Home!" (1881)
• "De Ole Plantation Coon" (1881)^[21]
• "She Gave Me A Pretty Red Rose" (1883)
• "Little Darling, Dream of Me" (1883)^[22]
• "The Captivating Dude" (1883)^[23]
• "Strolling on the Brooklyn Bridge" (1883)^[24]
• "A Boy's Best Friend is His Mother" (1884)^[25]
• "Columbia's Son" (1889)^[26]
• "The Picture With Its Face Turned to the Wall" (1891)^[27]
• "The Picture With Its Face Turned to the Wall" (1891)^[28]
• "The Laughing Coon" (1891)^[29]
• "Columbus" (1892)^[30]
• "Tell Me I'm Not Dreaming" (1893)^[31]
• "O'Reilly, O'Kelly, O'Fogarty" (1895)^[32]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Skelly, J. P. 1853-1895 (Joseph P.) [WorldCat Identities]].
2. Web site: Joseph P. Skelly. Discogs.
3. Web site: Search results from Notated Music, Available Online, Spear. Library of Congress.
4. Web site: Skelly, Joseph P(aul). Grove Music Online. 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.46892. Oxford University Press. 2001. Brooks. William. 978-1-56159-263-0.
5. Posted to YouTube as of January 2020
6. Web site: Dalhart, Vernon - Discography of American Historical Recordings. adp.library.ucsb.edu.
7. Web site: 136.028 - The Immensely Popular Song. A Boy's Best Friend is His Mother. | Levy Music Collection. levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
8. Record posted to YouTube as of January 2020
9. Web site: Dramatic Compositions Copyrighted in the United States, 1870 to 1916 .... Library of Congress Copyright. Office. June 17, 1918. U.S. Government Printing Office. Google Books.
10. Web site: Results for "" | Alexandria Digital Research Library.
11. Web site: Aint You Awful! (Skelly, Joseph Paul) - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download . 2023-06-14 . imslp.org.
12. Web site: 047.040 - He Isn't a Marrying Man. Comic Song [mutilated copy]. Levy Music Collection ]. 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
13. Web site: 133.011 - Harding's Library of Standard and Popular Music. Comic, Serio-Comic and Motto Songs. He Isn't a Marrying Man. Levy Music Collection . 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
14. Web site: 054.038 - Fifth Avenue George. A Popular Song. Levy Music Collection . 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
15. Web site: I Should Say So! (Skelly, Joseph Paul) - IMSLP: Free Sheet Music PDF Download . 2023-06-14 . imslp.org.
16. Web site: 133.155 - My Love's a Big Drum Major. Sero Comic Song. Levy Music Collection . 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
17. Book: Birnbaum, Larry. Before Elvis: The Prehistory of Rock 'n' Roll. April 28, 2013. Rowman & Littlefield. 9780810886384. Google Books.
18. Book: Cockrell, Dale. The Ingalls Wilder Family Songbook. June 17, 2011. A-R Editions, Inc.. 9780895796875. Google Books.
19. Web site: 138.120 - Popular and Standard Comic and Character Songs No. 2. No. 1519. Since James Put on High Collars. Levy Music Collection . 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
20. Web site: The Boogie man . 2023-06-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
21. Web site: De ole plantation coon . 2023-06-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
22. Web site: Skelly, J. P. - Discography of American Historical Recordings.
23. Web site: 054.021 - The Captivating Dude. Levy Music Collection . 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
24. Web site: Strolling on the Brooklyn Bridge . 2023-06-15 . Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA.
25. Book: Rubin, Louis D. Jr. A Writer's Companion. September 1, 1995. LSU Press. 9780807119921. Google Books.
26. Web site: 003.016 - America's Great Centennial Song. Columbia's Son. Levy Music Collection . 2023-06-14 . levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
27. Web site: J. P. Skelly | Levy Music Collection. levysheetmusic.mse.jhu.edu.
28. Web site: The picture with its face turned to the wall. NYPL Digital Collections.
29. Web site: The laughing coon . 2023-06-14 . NYPL Digital Collections . en.
30. Web site: Columbus . 2023-06-14 . NYPL Digital Collections . en.
31. Web site: Tell me I'm not dreaming . 2023-06-14 . NYPL Digital Collections . en.
32. Web site: O'Reilly, O'Kelly, O'Fogarty . 2023-06-14 . NYPL Digital Collections . en.