Proteges, Fans and Associates
Those who performed on the same bill in vaudeville at various times (known):
Eva Tanguay (pictured)
Harry Houdini (pictured)Nora Bayes &
Jack Norworth -
Theodore Roosevelt - After Willie's 3rd appearance at the Chase Theater in Washington DC, he was invited to perform for then president Roosevelt on the new gold grand piano. The piano was donated to the White House in 1903 and after his concert, Roosevelt was known to have said "Deee-lightful!"
Herbert Berliner - was vice-president of his father, Emile's, "His Masters Voice" label when he left to form Compo Co. Few people were as important to Willie's career as Herbert Berliner.It is therefore fitting that he is inducted to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame( the same year as William Eckstein. (cansong.ca)
Jack Emerson - was the drummer who worked with Willie for the six years at the Lyric Hall.
Florenz Ziegfield Jr.- (1867-1932) - Few men understood how to stage a production such as the way it was done by Florenz Ziegfeld Jr, who from 1896 to his death in 1932 produced a variety of shows and musicals before staging "The Ziegfeld Follies". Held mostly at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York, Willie teamed with house lyricist Gene Buck to write "Goodbye Sunshine, Hello Moon" for the production of 1919. This was a huge feather in the cap of Willie, who would become a hot ticket to write with all through the next decade.
Moretzky Upton - was a music professor who discovered a four year old Willie and instructed him for several years. He was associated with the McGill Conservatory, although I'm not sure that he was a professor there.
Harry Thomas (1890-1941) - was a close protege of Willie's who would fill in at the Strand whenever Willie couldn't appear. They wrote several songs together and Harry recorded a few of them with the Harry Thomas Trio.
Gus Hill - Sang the first live vocal on canadian radio with Willie accompanying him. In 1923, Hill turned up on the secondary vaudeville bill at the Pantages Theatre in Toronto and was also found to be working at the Canadian (Toronto) branch of the sheet music publisher Leo Feist Ltd. until 1926. He also recorded four acoustic sides for Herbert Berliner on Apex: "Mickey O'Neil" "When Frances Dances With Me"; "I Was Married Up in the Air" and "Radi-adi-O" and one for Berliner's HMV label : "Grieving for You" with the Harry Thomas Trio. Might's Toronto Directory and assessment rolls show that Hill was resident in Toronto until his death.
Norma Shearer - Was known to skip classes often from Westmount High and attend Willie's shows at the Strand. After she went on to hollywood fame, she complained in an interview that she never got to hear her favourite song, "Beautiful Thoughts" anymore and couldn't find the sheet music for it anywhere. The reporters at the Montreal Herald heard this and sent her a copy.
Fifi Dorsay - was another teen who would frequent the Strand and later went on to star in the films themselves.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) - considered by many to be the greatest pianist of his era. He appeared in Montreal a few times back then and went to see Willie perform because he had heard so many things about him ... he was impressed!
Vladimir dePachmann (1848-1933) falls into the distinction of being the most famed pianist on record who was born in the first half of the nineteenth century. De Pachmann was reputed to be an extremely sensitive artist and the greatest Chopin player of his time. But by the time he came to record he was known as the "Chopinzee," as antic eccentricities (weird dress, fussing with the piano stool, lecturing the audience and outrageous interview statements) had all but eclipsed his former talent
Josef Hoffman - (1876-1957) was an American pianist of Polish birth, son of opera conductor Kazimierz Hofmann and singer Matylda. Hoffman was "one of the most precocious musical prodigies in history, and equally gifted in mathematics, science and mechanics." After repeated world concert tours (with the period 1910-1935 considered his most successful), he became director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, giving his final concert in 1946.
Bill Munro - was a fellow pianist and protege who played with the Melody Kings (below) William and Bill wrote several songs together including Music (makes the world go round) which was also recorded by Munro's band. They then penned "Hey! You Want Any Mackeral?" only this time they used the names of Ima Fish / Ura Herring, probably to protect their reputations! Bill performed at the farewell gala the night of Willie's stroke.
