J. A. Raynes
John Arthur Raynes, more commonly referred to as J. A. Raynes, was an English-born American composer, conductor, songwriter, music arranger, and organist. He is best known for his contributions to Broadway musicals as a composer and arranger. He was also a Tin Pan Alley songwriter during the first decade of the 20th century and in 1915-1916 was active in Los Angeles as a composer of music accompaniments to silent films.
Life and career
John Arthur Raynes was born in Liverpool, England in 1870. He immigrated to the United States in 1885 and initially settled in Steubenville, Ohio where he was organist and choirmaster at St. Paul's Episcopal Church and music director of both the London Theatre and City Opera House. There he married his first wife Martha Irene Beazeall on 7 July 1892. He later married the actress Marta Golden in 1910 in San Jose, California. They divorced in 1915.Raynes first came to prominence as a composer writing the score to the musical burlesque Little Casino which premiered at the roof performance space of Broadway's Casino Theatre on 2 August 1897. He then was hired by Bob Cole to work as the musical director and arranger for his musical At Jolly Coon-ey Island; beginning an international tour of that work in March 1898. After this he worked in vaudeville as the music director for Kolb and Dill, and he wrote the score to a Broadway musical starring this duo, Lonesome Town. He continued to tour nationally as conductor and composer with Kolb and Dill through 1912; also writing the score to the musical The Politicians for the pair.
Raynes was also active as a songwriter for Tin Pan Alley as both a composer and lyricist. His song output included "The Suburban: Characteristic March and Two-Step” ; “Helen of Helena”, “The Feegee Man”, "Easy Money", "I Only Thought I'd Ask You", "Flirting", "Katy Strauss", and "My Little Cousin", Lloyd Ingraham's The Sable Lorcha, Allan Dwan's Jordan Is a Hard Road, Francis J. Grandon's Cross Currents, and Bernard McConville's The Price of Power.