| Composers B | Roy Frederick Bargy (1894-1974) |
According to the Internet source given below, Roy Frederick Bargy was an American pianist, composer and arranger of popular music, conductor and music director. He was born in Newaygo, Michigan and raised in Toledo, Ohio where he started at a very early age taking piano lessons. He first worked in Toledo as a pianist in silent film theatres. In 1919, he worked in Chicago for Charlie Straight who employed him to both to write his own novelty and ragtime music, and to edit popular songs of the day for publication by the Imperial Piano Roll Company. In this role Bargy was in competition with Zez Confrey , the star at the QRS Piano Roll Company.
Whilst working for the Imperial Piano Roll Company he became pianist, arranger and musical director of the Benson Orchestra, Chicago in 1921. After some years with his own orchestra, he worked with Paul Whiteman's dance orchestra as pianist and arranger from 1928 until 1940. Until his retirement in 1963 worked with Lanny Ross, Xavier Cugat, Lanny Ross, Gerry Moore and the comedian Jimmy Durante who hired him as his musical director. Bargy remained with Jimmy for the next twenty years.
List of Roy Bargy's works.
Sheet Music:
That Demon Rag by Elliott Adams
Syncopated Sensations by Noel Lester
Sophisticated Innocence by Lincoln Mayorga
Paul Whiteman by Paul Whiteman
Whippin the Keys by Matthew Davidson