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True writer of "Autumn Leaves"
- a Digger Stevens Band fan!
During our 2008 New Year's Eve gig, Tom Wheeler of Rhode
Island, a sharp young man at 92 years of age, disclosed that it
was indeed he himself that wrote "Autumn Leaves" as a
younger man of 16 years old. With the truth in his piercing
eyes and a song of disappointment in his heavy heart, he told
this story:
It was somewhere around 1932, in the fall, while working on a
farm in the fields in Princeton, NJ., where the early fallen
leaves inspired Tom to write the beautiful lyric and lilt of
"Autumn Leaves." With the help of his friend, a pianist who
played in a local big band, the score and arrangement was
written. Tom Wheeler sang his song, "Autumn Leaves" at
many dance gigs with the big band in the Princeton, NJ area
for about 2 more years.
In 1933, unbeknown to Tom, his mother gave the sheet
arrangement and lyrics to her friend, whose son, Saul, played
in a big band at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City at the
time. Tom knew Saul, but he didn't know what was about to
happen to that beautiful love song he had written. Saul took
the sheet music and lyrics to a publisher in New York, and the
rest is history. The song " Autumn Leaves " went on to
become the classic popular hit that it came to be. "Autumn
Leaves" is still performed and re-recorded by many popular
artists. "Autumn Leaves" is aired and sold to this very day.
Tom Wheeler never received any credit, recognition, or one
red cent compensation for the song.
Let this testimony stand as recognition and acknowledgement
to Mr. Tom Wheeler for his musical contribution; "Autumn
Leaves" which has been and is still enjoyed for many
generations on this big blue planet.
As a fellow musician, I know in my heart that Tom Wheeler, 92
years of age, was telling the truth.
In Music,
Sonny Gibb,
Digger Stevens Band
- a Digger Stevens Band fan!
During our 2008 New Year's Eve gig, Tom Wheeler of Rhode
Island, a sharp young man at 92 years of age, disclosed that it
was indeed he himself that wrote "Autumn Leaves" as a
younger man of 16 years old. With the truth in his piercing
eyes and a song of disappointment in his heavy heart, he told
this story:
It was somewhere around 1932, in the fall, while working on a
farm in the fields in Princeton, NJ., where the early fallen
leaves inspired Tom to write the beautiful lyric and lilt of
"Autumn Leaves." With the help of his friend, a pianist who
played in a local big band, the score and arrangement was
written. Tom Wheeler sang his song, "Autumn Leaves" at
many dance gigs with the big band in the Princeton, NJ area
for about 2 more years.
In 1933, unbeknown to Tom, his mother gave the sheet
arrangement and lyrics to her friend, whose son, Saul, played
in a big band at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City at the
time. Tom knew Saul, but he didn't know what was about to
happen to that beautiful love song he had written. Saul took
the sheet music and lyrics to a publisher in New York, and the
rest is history. The song " Autumn Leaves " went on to
become the classic popular hit that it came to be. "Autumn
Leaves" is still performed and re-recorded by many popular
artists. "Autumn Leaves" is aired and sold to this very day.
Tom Wheeler never received any credit, recognition, or one
red cent compensation for the song.
Let this testimony stand as recognition and acknowledgement
to Mr. Tom Wheeler for his musical contribution; "Autumn
Leaves" which has been and is still enjoyed for many
generations on this big blue planet.
As a fellow musician, I know in my heart that Tom Wheeler, 92
years of age, was telling the truth.
In Music,
Sonny Gibb,
Digger Stevens Band