Stories of Standards: “All of Me” by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons

Tune in to Jazz with Victor Cooper – weekdays from 6-9 a.m. MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long beginning Monday, January 28 presented by Rodney Franks!

Stories of Standards is sponsored by ListenUp - If you love music, you’ll love ListenUp.

“All of Me” (1931) by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, was introduced on radio by vaudeville singer Belle Baker in 1931; shortly before that performance she had lost her husband and broke down weeping while singing the song, which became a hit with the release of Paul Whiteman’s December 1931 recording (vocalist Mildred Bailey). Known as The Ragtime Singer, Belle Baker introduced “Blue Skies” and “My Yiddishe Mama”; she was also the first person in the United States to do a radio broadcast from a moving train. “All of Me” has been recorded about 2,000 times and won the “Towering Song” award from the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2000.

Gerald Marks (10/13/1900-1/27/1997) joined ASCAP after the success of “All of Me”, was active in the organization for many years, and served on the board of directors from 1970 to 1981. Inspired by the League of Nations, Marks wrote music for a 22-song series, intended as teaching aids for children (including “Sing a Song of Safety,” “Songs of Health,” and “Sing a Song of Friendship), promoting tolerance and unity. These were later published by the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai B’rith.