Milton Ager
Milton Ager was an influential American composer and songwriter, born on October 6, 1893, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the sixth of nine children and began his musical journey when his sister bought a piano in 1900, leading him to self-educate in music. Ager attended McKinley High School in New York City in 1907 but left formal education three years later. He initially worked as a movie house intermission pianist and vaudevillian before moving to New York in 1913, where he arranged music for Waterson, Berlin, and Snyder. During World War I, he served in the US Army’s Morale Division.
After the war, Ager returned to songwriting and achieved his first success with "Nobody's Baby" in 1921, followed by "Who Cares" in 1922. That same year, he co-founded the publishing house Ager, Yellen, and Bornstein. He composed numerous popular songs throughout the 1920s, including "Ain't She Sweet," "Happy Days Are Here Again," and "The Last of the Red Hot Mamas." His song "Happy Days Are Here Again" became the theme for President Franklin D. Roosevelt's 1932 inauguration and the Democratic Party.
In 1930, Ager moved to Hollywood, contributing to film scores for movies like "Honky Tonk" and "King of Jazz." His collaborators included notable figures such as George Meyer, Grant Clarke, and Jack Yellen. Ager continued to impact both stage and screen with his music until his death on May 6, 1979, in Los Angeles County, California. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972, leaving behind a legacy of classic American music.
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