Artist Biography
Harry Akst was the composer of a number of delightful popular songs in the 1920s and '30s. He scored a hit in 1924 with "A Smile Will Go A Long Long Way," written with lyricist Benny Davis. The two also collaborated on the immortal "Baby Face," which was enormously successful for singer Eddie Cantor. It was Cantor who popularized another of Akst's future standards, "Dinah," when he sang it in his 1923 Broadway show KID BOOTS. During World War II, Akst entertained at U.S. military bases, often with Al Jolson, and the pair later collaborated on the title song for the film THE EGG AND I. Akst died in 1964.
Hometown
New York, NY, United States
Genre
Jazz