Michael Edwards (American composer)

Michael Edwards (1893–1962) was an American composer and musician, known for composing the 1937 hit "Once in a While". He was also a classical violinist, organist and music arranger.^[1]

Edwards's most famous composition, "Once in a While", became a number one hit for Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, and later for Patti Page (1957) and The Chimes (1961).^[2] The song is now considered a jazz standard.^[1] None of Edwards's other songs achieved the popularity of "Once in a While", and he has been called "a perfect example of a one-hit composer".^[3]

Notes

1. Once in a While at jazzstandards.com – retrieved on May 21, 2009
2. David A. Jasen: A Century of American Popular Music: 2000 Best-Loved and Remembered Songs (1899–1999). Taylor & Francis, 2002. ISBN 0-415-93700-0. p.152
3. David A. Jasen: Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song. Taylor & Francis, 2003. ISBN 0-415-93877-5. p.204