Monte Carlo (composer) explained

Hans von Holstein, better known as Monte Carlo (14 July 1883 — 9 June 1967), was a Danish-born American Broadway composer and author.[1]

Life

Von Holstein was born in Skamlingsbanken,[1] Gravenstein, Denmark, on 14 July 1883.[2] He came to the U.S. in 1906 to avoid studying medicine.[1] He changed his name to Hans Carlo, and soon began using Monte Carlo as his name. He became a naturalized US citizen in 1914. He received pre-medical training in Chicago, with songwriting as chief avocation. He started writing music with Alma Sanders, whom he met at Jerome H. Remick's music publishing firm.[1] She eventually became his wife.[3] They collaborated on a number of shows and a large number of songs.[2] He joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in 1923.[4]

In 1930, he was living with his wife at 10 Williams Avenue in Mount Vernon, New York.[5] In 1942, he was living at 145 West 55th Street, New York.[6]

After the death of his wife in 1956, he moved to Houston, Texas.[7] There he became vice-president of Carsen Music Publishing, founded by his step-son, Edward C. Benjamin Sr.[4] He died in Houston on June 9, 1967.[4] [8]

Songs with music or lyrics by Monte Carlo

"Little Town in the old County Down"
"Dinny Danny; The Irish Yacki Hula"
"That Tumble-Down Shack in Athlone"
"Every Tear Is a Smile in an Irishman's Heart"
"By the waters of Killarney"
"Just a bit of Irish lace"
"Two Blue Eyes, One Little Green Isle"
"My Home in the County Mayo"
"The Hills of Connemara"
"The Old Wooden Bridge in Athlone"[2] [9]

Several songs became very popular after being recorded by John McCormack in the early 1920s.

Shows

Notes and References

  1. "In the Shifting Broadway Scene: Who Are Carlo and Sanders?," New York Times (Jan. 20, 1929), p. X4.
  2. Web site: Music, songs, composers. ASCAP 1952. 2006. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers . 2008-08-10.
  3. Suskin, Steven. Show Tunes, 2000. . p. 360
  4. "Monte Carlo," Variety (Jun. 21, 1967).
  5. 1930 United States Federal Census for Mount Vernon, New York.
  6. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, available on Ancestry.com.
  7. Alma's obit from 1956 indicates they were still living on 55th Street.
  8. The Social Security Death Index, 080-28-6640 gives the date as just "June 1967."
  9. Web site: The World's Largest Library Catalog . WorldCat.org . 2013-03-31.
  10. Web site: The official source for Broadway Information . IBDB . 2013-03-31.