STEPHEN

See also:

• COLLINS, ANTHONY (1676-1729)
• COLLINS, JOHN CHURTON (1848-1908)
• COLLINS, MORTIMER (1827-1876)
• COLLINS, WILLIAM (1721-1759)
• COLLINS, WILLIAM (1787–1847)
• COLLINS, WILLIAM WILKIE (1824–1889)

COLLINS

See also:

• FOSTER, GEORGE EULAS (1847– )
• FOSTER, JOHN (177o-1843)
• FOSTER, MYLES BIRKET (1825-1899)
• FOSTER, SIR CLEMENT LE NEVE (1841-1904)
• FOSTER, SIR MICHAEL (1836-r9o7)
• STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER (1826-1864)

FOSTER (1826-1864)  , American song and ballad writer, was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of July 1826 . He was the youngest child of a merchant of Irish descent who became a member of the state legislature and was related by marriage to President Buchanan . Stephen early showed talent for music, and played upon the flageolet, the guitar and the banjo; he also acquired a fair knowledge of French and German . He was sent to school in Towanda, Pennsylvania, and later to Athens, Pennsylvania, and when thirteen years old he wrote the song " Sadly to Mine Heart Appealing." At sixteen he wrote " Open thy Lattice, Love "; at seventeen he entered his brother's business house, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained about three years, composing meanwhile such popular pieces as " Old Uncle Ned," " O Susannah!" and others . He then adopted song-writing as a profession . His chief successes were songs written for the negro melodists or Christy minstrels . Besides those mentioned the following attained great popularity: " Nelly was a Lady," " Old Kentucky Home," " Old Folks at Home," " Massa's in de Cold, Cold Ground," &c . For these and other songs the composer received considerable sums, " Old Folks at Home " bringing him, it is said, 15,000 dollars . For most of his songs Foster wrote both songs and music . In 1850 he married and moved to New York, but soon returned to Pittsburg . His reputation rests chiefly on his negro melodies, many of which have been popular on both sides of the Atlantic and sung in many tongues . " Old Black Joe," the last of these negro melodies, appeared in 1861 .

His later songs were sentimental

ballads . Among these are " Old Dog Tray," " Gentle Annie," " Willie, we have missed you," &c . His " Come where my Love lies Dreaming " is a well known vocal quartet . Al-though as a musician and composer Foster has little claim to high rank, his song-writing gives him a prominent place in the modern developments of popular music . He died at New York on the 13th of January 1864 .