Who wrote the song "Avalon"?
Q: Who wrote the song "Avalon"?
A: The song "Avalon" was written by Al Jolson, Buddy DeSylva and Vincent Rose in 1920.
Q: What was the first recording of "Avalon"?
A: The first recording of "Avalon" was done by Al Jolson and used in the musicals Sinbad and Bombo.
Q: How successful was Jolson's version?
A: Jolson's version of "Avalon" became #2 on the American singles chart.
Q: Who else has recorded the song?
A: Many jazz artists have recorded the song, for example Cab Calloway (1934), Coleman Hawkins (1935) and Eddie Durham (1936). Benny Goodman also played it in his concert at Carnegie Hall in 1938.
Q: Where has the song been featured?
A: The song has been featured in films such as The Jolson Story (1946) and The Benny Goodman Story (1956).
Q: Where did Rose get his melody from?
A: Vincent Rose took his melody from Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca, though he changed it slightly.
Q: What happened because of this?
A: Because of this, a court later decided that Jolson and Rose had to pay Puccini's publishers $25,000 and all later profits from the song.
