Fred Fisher

One of the more popular Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the early 20th century, Fred Fisher was by most accounts a colorful and somewhat high-strung character. He was born to American parents in Cologne, Germany, on September 30, 1875 (his last name was originally spelled Fischer). He ran away from home at age 13 and joined the German navy; when his stint was over, he migrated to France to serve in the French Foreign Legion. He moved to the United States in 1900 and settled in Chicago, where he learned to play piano from a local tavern musician. He began composing his own songs i...