SLOAN, BUD

Homebase: Seattle, WA
Stats: 1905-1996
Misc Notes: Sterling David "Bud" Sloan was born in Seattle and raised in the Magnolia Bluff neighborhood. He started playing piano at age eight, and wrote his most famous song, "When It's Springtime In The Rockies," at age 18. Then, after studying music at the University of Washington, he moved to New York City at age 21 where he composed and performed his original music -- and even played bass violin and organ with the New York Symphony. While there, Sloan sold the publishing rights to "Springtime In The Rockies" to a big-time song publisher, Villa Moret, Inc., for $50. He would learn a big lesson from that move: the song went on to be recorded by many stars including Bing Crosby, Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry, and Perry Como, selling zillions of copies of sheet music and hundreds of thousands of records. From then on Sloan knew better, and would ever after register and copyright his compositions -- which would number around 500 throughout his lifetime. In his thirties Sloan moved to Hollywood to continue his career, writing and recording his songs. By chance he met his future wife, Elsie Lorraine Snyder, who was from Mill City, Oregon, and as a youth had begun singing on Portland radio, and later performed with the San Francisco Opera Company. She was a multi-instrumentalist and composer, and the couple eventually had a son and two daughters: Annie and Bonnie. The family eventually settled in Seattle, where Sloan continued composing, including two songs -- "Don't Bring Me Roses Red" (copyrighted in 1951) and "Mary" -- which were recorded by Paul and Bonnie Tutmarc. Other Northwest musicians and singers recorded additional Sloan compositions, and Sloan also had some songs recorded by artists (including John Morgan and the Chandeliers) in Hollywood. In the late-1950s Sloan acquired the Mecca Records label and began releasing records locally. As teenagers, daughters Bonnie and Annie formed a vocal duo -- The Du-Ettes -- who recorded one single in 1958.

search by ARTIST