Title: Jerry Ross Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1934-1955

Creator:

• Ross, Jerry, 1926-1955

Call Number: U.S. Mss 91AN

Quantity: 0.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society Archives / Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research
Contact Information

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of composer and lyricist Jerry Ross, consisting of contracts and handwritten and printed copies of songs by Ross alone or in collaboration with Richard Adler. Most notable are the files on Damn Yankees (1950) and Pajama Game (1954).

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0091an

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Jerry Ross was a talented musician and lyricist before his death in 1955 at the age of 29. He was born Jerold Rosenberg on March 9, 1926 in Bronx, New York. The son of Russian immigrants, he worked continuously to educate himself.

While in his teens, with no musical training, Ross wrote his first song. He kept so busy with working, studying, music and sports through all of his early years that his doctor often had to warn him to guard his health. He attended New York University as a music major but left before completion of a degree. He then went to the Catskill resorts to work, where he met Eddie Fisher, who later became his good friend.

On returning to New York City, Ross met Richard Adler, who had had no previous musical training. They decided to work together and by the time of Ross' death the two had together created 250 tunes. In 1953 they wrote their first score, Almanac, and in 1954 and 1955 wrote the music for Pajama Game and Damn Yankees.

Jerry Ross married Judith M. Levy on August 28, 1949. They had one daughter, Jane. On November 12, 1955, Jerry Ross died in the Lenox Hill Hospital as the result of a lung ailment.

The Jerry Ross Papers contain two boxes of material dealing with his career as a song writer.

The first box contains music, contracts, and lyrics for musicals and revues, including Damn Yankees, Pajama Game, Almanac and Six on a Honeymoon. It also contains holograph dechon and printed copies of some of Ross' individual songs, many co-authored with Richard Adler and Buddy Kaye. A complete list follows the box list below.

The second box contains contracts concerning songs written by Ross, script fragments, comments from fans, and music for songs not written by Ross.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Judith Coulter, Harrison, New York, December 16, 1963.

Processing Information

Processed by A. Green, July 1969.

	Series: Musicals written by Ross
Box   1 Folder   1	Damn Yankees (N.Y. 1955, May 5) Note Producers: Frederick Brisson, Robert E. Griffith, and Harold S. Prince, in association with Albert B. Taylor Director: George Abbott Writers: Douglass Wallop and George Abbott (book); Richard Adler (music); Jerry Ross (lyrics) Cast: Ray Walston, Stephen Douglass, and Gwen Verdon
	Plot sequence, typed lyric sheets
	Script, 1954 Nov., revisions , 1955, Jan.
	Movie reviews
	American Heart Fund Association, 1956: “Heart”-sheet music, releases, record, special lyrics by Irwin Lewis
Box   1 Folder   2	Pajama Game (N.Y. 1954, May 13) Note Producers: Frederick Brisson, Robert L. Griffith, and Harold S. Prince Director: George Abbott, Jerome Robbins Writers: George Abbott and Richard Bissell (book); Richard Adler and Jerry Ross (music and lyrics) Cast: John Raitt, Janis Paige, Eddie Foy, Jr.
	Contracts, receipts
	Sheet music for “Hernando's Hide-away” and “Hey There”
	Series: Revues written by Ross	⇧
Box   1 Folder   3	Almanac [John Murray Anderson] (N.Y. 1953, Dec. 10) Note Producers: Michael Grace, Stanley Gilkey, Harry Rigby Director: John Murray Anderson Writers: Revue with music and lyrics by Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, et al. Cast: Hermione Gingold, Lilly De Wolfe, Harry Belafonte, Polly Bergen
	“Fini” - dechon copy
Box   1 Folder   4	Grossinger's Staff Show (, 1948-1949)
	Music and lyrics (mostly holograph)
Box   1 Folder   5	Six on a Honeymoon (produced at Lake Club, Chicago, Ill., circa 1951-1952)
	“Meet Your Mother,” “No Man's Land,” “Opening,” “Plumber Song”
Box   1 Folder   6	“Shimmy, Shammy Blues,” “Someone Is Watching Over Me,” “Somewhere, Somehow, Someday,” “Street Scene,” “The Trouble Is I do,” “You're So Much a Part of Me”
	Series: Songs written by Ross Note: Complete list in the appendix	⇧
Box   1 Folder   7	A-L
Box   1 Folder   8	M-0
Box   1 Folder   9	P-Sk
Box   1 Folder   10	So-Z
Box   2 Folder   1	Miscellaneous music and lyrics
Box   2 Folder   2	Lyric File - typed and holograph
	Series: Contracts concerning songs by Ross	⇧
Box   2 Folder   3	A-M
Box   2 Folder   4	N-So
Box   2 Folder   5	St-Z
Box   2 Folder   6	Miscellaneous contracts
	Series: Miscellaneous	⇧
Box   2 Folder   7	Script Fragments: Jerry (Ross) Rosenberg, Walter Hoban, unidentified
Box   2 Folder   8	Song lists, fans' comments, royalty statements
Box   2 Folder   9	Songs in collection not by Ross
	Richard Adler and Philip Springer - “The Candy Shop Song,” “What Have You Done for Me Lately,” “When You Danced By”
	Truman Capote, Harold Arlen - House of Flowers - “A Sleepin Bee,” “Two Ladies in de Shade of de Banana Tree,” “I Never Has Seen Snow”
	Caroline Leigh, Mark Charlap - Peter Pan- “Tender Shepherd”
	Frederico Valerio - “Assim Nasee o Amor” (?)

• “Angry River,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Brother Peter's Younger Sister,” words and music by Buddy Kaye and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “The Bumpety Bus,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross, 1949. Printed sheet music, 4 pages.
• “But This...Oh My!” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil; orchestration, pencil and ink.
• “The Clock Stopped,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “The Cure for My Heartache,” words and music by Jerry Ross, 1949. Dechon copy.
• “Dinky the Donkey,” holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Don't Surrender,” holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “Early Bird,” words and music by Jerry Ross, 1949. Dechon copy with manuscript annotations and corrections.
• “Elephant Boy,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Even Now,” words and music by Richard Adler, Jerry Ross, and Dan Howell, 1952. Printed Masterscore; arrangement by Johnny Warrington and Joe Leahy. Words and music by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler, 1950.
• “Fiddling Around,” words and music by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler, 1950. Dechon copy.
• “Fortynine Acres of Land,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “The Golden Locket,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross, 1949. Photostat copy.
• “Gypsy Girl,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil; also 1 page pencil sketch for another song; dechon copy, 1950; printed sheet music, 1953.
• “Hippety Hop,” holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “History,” words and music by Dick Manning and Jerry Ross, 1949. Dechon copy; with 2 manuscript corrections.
• “I Hope I'm Wrong,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript, with words, pencil.
• “I Was Never One for Talking,” lyrics Jerry Ross, music Mort Garson. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink, 1 page.
• “If Hearts Were Made of Paper,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil, variant version, ink.
• “If I Had the Money,” words and music by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler, 1950. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “I'll Never Lose You,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “I'm Yours Alone,” words and music by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “It Could Have Been So Beautiful,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “It's Just As Tho It Were Yesterday,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “I've Got a Letter,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, 1952. Printed sheet music, 2 pages.
• “Love-Shy,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Love Song,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Love Theme,” holograph music orchestration, ink.
• “Lucky Joe,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “The Magic of the Moon,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Mister Ukulele Jones,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink, variant version as “Mr. Guitar Jones,” pencil, 2 1/4 pages.
• “Morris,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil, additional lyrics, typed; orchestration, pencil.
• “My Heart Has Found a Home,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink, variant version, ink.
• “My Heart Will Wait for You,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink, variant version, ink.
• “My Horse Loves Your Horse,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “The Newspaper Song,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “No Good Byes,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “No No No I Don't Wanna Go Home,” words and music by Buddy Kaye and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “The No Soap, No Home, No Mouse, No House Blues,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink; printed sheet music, 1951.
• “Old Shoes,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Printed sheet music (professional.
• “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Kisses,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross; printed sheet music (professional), 1951“An Ordinary Broom,” words and music by Buddy Kaye and Jerry Ross, 1950; printed score, arrangement by Johnny Warrington (incomplete).
• “Please Don't Open 'til Christmas,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript, with words, pencil; dechon copy.
• “Production,” holograph music manuscript, pencil.
• “Rags to Riches,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, 1953; printed sheet music (professional); printed score, arrangement by Johnny Warrington (incomplete).
• “Senorita,” words by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, music by Joseph Meyer, 1952; dechon copy.
• “Settle Down,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “Skippin' Along a Rainbow,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink and pencil.
• “Somewhere There Is a Girl,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music with words, ink.
• “The Strange Little Girl,” words and music by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler, 1951; printed sheet music (professional), 2 pages.
• “Submarine,” holograph music manuscript, ink.
• “Such Is Love,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “Summer Kisses,” words and music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil, variant version, pencil.
• “The Sun Is Getting Ready to Shine,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, 1952; printed sheet music.
• “Take the Phone Off the Hook,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, 1952; printed dechon copy.
• “Tears of Happiness,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross, 1949; dechon copy.
• “Ten Steps to Love,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “Thanks Mr. Christopher Columbus,” words by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross, music by Geoffrey O'Hara, 1954. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil; printed sheet music (piano-vocal), 6 pages, four-part chorus and piano.
• “This Day Is Ours,” words by Buddy Kaye, music by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink.
• “When There's Christmas in Your Heart,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil.
• “When You're in Love You Believe,” words and music by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink and pencil.
• “Words and Music,” by Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, ink and pencil.
• “You Fool You,” words and music by Al Hoffman, Richard Adler, and Jerry Ross. Holograph music manuscript with words, pencil (chorus), ink (verse).