Felix Arndt


Felix Arndt was an American pianist and composer of popular music. His mother was the Countess Fevrier, who was related to Napoleon III. His father, Hugo Arndt, was Swiss-born.
Educated in New York, Arndt composed songs for the famous vaudeville team of Jack Norworth and Nora Bayes, and recorded over 3000 piano rolls for Duo-Art and QRS Records. He died in New York City from the "Spanish flu" influenza. Arndt is interred at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Tarrytown, NY.
Arndt is best remembered for his 1915 composition "Nola," written as an engagement gift to his fiancée, Nola Locke. It is sometimes considered to be the first example of the novelty piano or "novelty ragtime" genre, published by Sam Fox Publishing Company. It was the signature theme of the Vincent Lopez orchestra, and a top ten hit for Les Paul in 1950. A vocal recording by Billy Williams, featuring lyrics by Sunny Skylar, became a minor hit in 1959.

Piano solos

  • 71st Regiment – Waltz
  • A Symphonic Nightmare – Desecration Rag No. 1
  • From Soup to Nuts – One Step Turkey Trot
  • Kakuda – One Step Turkey Trot
  • Marionette
  • Nola
  • Toots – Rag One Step
  • An Operatic Nightmare – Desecration Rag No. 2
  • Clover Club – Fox Trot

    Songs

  • As Long As the Band Will Play – 1911
  • Snow Time – 1911
  • If That is Not Love Wot? - 1911
  • When Sunday Rolls Around – 1911
  • Night Time – 1911
  • When You Know Why – 1913
  • Evr'y Rose Reminds Me of You – 1913
  • In the Shade of the Mango Tree – 1918
  • My Gal's Another Gal Like Galli-Curci – 1918
  • Nola – 1922
His piano rolls reveal Arndt to be a fine pianist, and he is known to have been an influence on the young George Gershwin, who would visit him at his studio in the Aeolian Building on 42nd Street in Manhattan.