2nd January

Harry B. Smith, a celebrated composer of songs, musicals and operettas, dies of a heart attack in his room at the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. His best-known composition is perhaps the jazz standard The Sheik Of Araby. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics.

Harry B. Smith, a celebrated composer of songs, musicals and operettas, dies of a heart attack in his room at the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Perhaps his best-known composition is the jazz standard The Sheik Of Araby. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics.

Future country music star Roger Miller is born in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.

Bing Crosby takes over as host of the popular NBC radio variety show The Kraft Music Hall in the USA, and will become its longest-running presenter, from 1936 through 1946.

Harry B. Smith, a celebrated composer of songs, musicals and operettas, dies of a heart attack in his room at the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA. Raised in Chicago, Smith became drama critic for The Chicago Daily News and wrote wrote songs and sketches for burlesques staged at the Chicago Opera House. His best-known composition is perhaps the jazz standard The Sheik Of Araby. The most prolific of all American stage writers, he is said to have written over 300 librettos and more than 6000 lyrics.