Life and Times of William Christopher O'Hare

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  • Washington, D.C.
    • Formative Years
    • DC Family >
      • Early Ancestors
      • Paternal Grandparents
      • Ancestral Home: Linden Grove
      • Parents
      • Siblings
  • Shreveport
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    • Music Director >
      • Grand Opera House
      • Choral Societies
      • Community Productions
      • Churches
    • Music Teacher
    • Composer--Before Levee Revels
    • Composer-- Levee Revels and after
    • Changes & Problems at the Opera House
  • Marriage & Sons
    • Lottie Slater
    • Wm. Crockett O'Hare
    • Vincent Slater O'Hare
  • NYC
    • Arrival & Background
    • Arranger >
      • Rags & Other Instrumentals
      • Pop/Patriotic Songs 1901-1908
      • Pop/Patriotic Songs, 1909-1931
      • Medleys
      • Misc. Shows, 1902-1905
      • Misc. Shows, 1906-1909
      • Misc. Shows, 1910-1914
      • Hippodrome Background & O'Hare's First Tunes
      • Hippodrome Shows
      • Vocal Arrangements, Secular and Sacred
      • Misc. Arrangements
      • An Orchestrator's Prank
    • Composer >
      • Instrumentals, 1901-1902
      • Instrumentals, 1903-1909
      • Early NY Songs
      • Sacred Music/Organist
      • Silent Films
      • Misc Compositions, 1905-1914
      • Misc Compositions, 1917-1934
    • Letter to the Editor
  • Death
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This and That:
A Cultural Blog

Jean Lenox and Harry O. Sutton, Songwriters

10/31/2018

 
After stumbling across a funny anecdote involving Jean Lenox and Harry O. Sutton's visit to an "Old Ladies Home," I originally intended to share that one item, which sounded like something that could happen where my mom lives.

However, one thing led to another.  When I decided to see what else I might easily turn up about the song-writing team, I found other anecdotes.   A few contradictory newspaper items led me on a quest to determine Lenox's relationship to Sutton. 

How far should we trust the newspaper anecdotes?  To what extent might they have served as good public relations, perhaps to enhance the song-writing team's reputation?  Exactly who were Jean Lenox and Harry O. Sutton? What can we learn from newspapers and public records?  I'll admit to not finding clear-cut answers to some of my questions but will offer several reasons for the remaining mysteries.   Perhaps someone will have the curiosity and time to look for more.

Biographical Backgrounds and Mysteries

Harry O. Sutton (1881-1911)
Picture
Harry Owen Sutton
Harry Owen Sutton was born August 19, 1881, the second child of Owen E. Sutton and Alice French Sutton.  On August 25, The [Naples] Neopolitan announced, "Owen E. Sutton is the happy possessor of boy No. 2."

Shortly before Harry's sixth birthday, a mishap nearly ended his life.  The July 20, 1887 Naples Record reported that he "fell into the water at the head of the mill flume near Crocker's factory. and but for the timely assistance of Mr. Crocker must have been drowned."

Sometime before the 1892 New York State Census,  Harry began living with his father's sister and her husband, Mary Louise Sutton Pierce and Frank G. Pierce, who ran a music business. Mary Louise was also the Presbyterian church organist for several years.

During a Presbyterian social at their home in early April, 1893, 11-year-old Harry gave what may have been his first public performance when he and his aunt entertained guests with their unspecified piano duet.

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    Author

    I am a retired community college professor and the great-granddaughter of composer, orchestrator,  arranger, organist, and teacher William Christopher O'Hare.

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                                                                    2018  copyright on research content,  Sue Attalla