Who Knows?
Publication Information
published in 1909
Original Listing
Paul Laurence Dunbar, A Song
Biographical Information
(1878-1927) Ernest R. Ball was a composer and vocalist from Cleveland who received his formal training at the Cleveland Conservatory. In 1905 in New York City, he was given a few verses written by then-state Senator James J. Walker, who later became famous as the dapper New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker. Ball put one of the verses to music, calling it "Will You Love Me In December as You Do In May?" It became a national hit. Beginning in 1906, Ball had a dual career, writing songs and singing them himself on vaudeville stages. At first, he worked alone but later shared billing with his second wife, Maude Lambert. In 1907, he was a charter member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and signed a contract with Witmark Music as a demonstrator and house composer. Ball was most famous for composing the music for the song "When Irish Eyes Sre Smiling" in 1912. He collaborated with several lyricists including Chauncey Olcott, George Graff, Darl MacBoyle, J. Keirn Brennan, James J. Walker, Arthur Penn, Annelu Burns, and David Reed.
Recommended Citation
Ball, Ernest R., "Who Knows?" (1909). Dunbar Music Archive. 3.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/dunbar/3
