Will L. Thompson

The subject of this sketch was one of America’s most popular song writers. His music has found its way into every nook and corner of the singing world. It would be difficult to find a person who sings who is not familiar with some of his compositions.

Will Lamartine Thompson was born at East Liverpool, Ohio, ISTovember 7, 1847. His father, the Hon. Josiah Thompson, was a successful business man, and for two terms a member of the state legislature. All the family were lovers of music, but Will Lamartine alone made it a serious study. Lie readily learned to play on instruments and even while a boy was in demand as pianist for local concerts. When he was only sixteen years old he composed ” Darling Minnie Gray” and “Liverpool Schottische,” both of which were published.

He was educated in the public schools of the town. Later he attended Union College.

In the years 1 870-1 S73, he attended the Boston Music School, where he took a course in piano, organ and harmony. Near the close of his work here he wrote a song which, when published, almost immediately attained great popularity. That song was “Gathering Shells From the Seashore.”

Mr. Thompson also studied in Germany. Music seemed to be his natural element.

In 1874 he took four of his songs in manuscript to a well-known publisher in Cleveland and offered all for one hundred dollars. He was informed by the publisher that the four pieces were not worth at the outside more than twenty-five dollars. After thinking the matter over for some time, he decided to take his songs back home with him. Later he had his songs published in New York City, but managed the sales himself. All the songs had a good sale, but two of them, “Gathering Shells From the Seashore” and “Drifting With the Tide,” became immensely popular. In less than a year the publisher who had refused to pay one hundred dollars for the manuscripts had turned over to the author in profits more than a thousand dollars. From this initial venture his financial returns were most gratifying. Thus began what afterwards developed into the flourishing and popular firm — Will L. Thompson & Co.

Mr. Thompson’s chief ambition Tvas to write music for the people ; in this he was eminently successful.

A friend once said to Mr. Thompson : ” How do you go about writing a song ? ”

Opening a folio of manuscripts he replied: “You see here perhaps fifty or more manuscripts in various degrees of completion. Most of them are unfinished, and some merely contain the idea or theme. Others, you see, are almost ready for publication. I carry with me always a pocket memorandum, and no matter where I am, at home or hotel, at the store or in the cars, if an idea or theme comes to me that I deem worthy of a song, I jot it down in verse, and as I do so the music simply comes to me naturally, so I write words and music enough to call back the whole theme again any time I open to it. In this way I never lose it. I sat down one day at the seashore, and in about ten minutes wrote words and music of ‘ Gathering Shells From the Seashore.’ I sat in a little boat one afternoon at Chautauqua Lake, and while my companion rowed through the lily beds I wrote ‘ Come, Where the Lilies Bloom.’ So you see the surroundings generally suggest the theme.”

“But how do you get the music in your mind without going to the instrument?”

“That is hard to explain to any but a musician. The music comes to my mind the same as any other thought. As I write the words of a song, a fitting melody is already in my mind, and as I jot down the notes of the music I know just how it will sound. I write the different parts of the harmony and the whole piece is rehearsed in my mind ; I hear the blending of the different voices and know just how each part will sound in its harmonic relations to the other parts. Of course to do this intelligently, one must have a knowledge of the science of harmony, as there are rules governing the harmonic relations of sounds just as arbitrary as the rules of mathematics.”

Mr. Thompson was a successful business man as well as a talented and successful composer, and his work brought him a fortune of which any composer or literary man might well be proud. In addition to scores of songs published in sheet form, he also issued a number of books, entitled as follows : ” Thompson’s Class and Concert,” ” Thompson’s Popular Anthems, Yols. 1 and 2,” ” The New Century Hymnal,” ” The Youug People’s Choir,” and ” Enduring Hymns.” These books have all met with general favor. Among his many popular gospel songs are : ” There’s a Great Day Coming,” ” Softly and Tenderly,” ” The Sinner and Song,” ” Lead Me Gently Home, Father,” ” Jesus is All the World to Me,” etc.

Mr. Thompson was a good man, kind, quiet, unassuming, and one who was greatly loved and admired.

In 1891, Mr. Thompson married Miss Elizabeth Johnson, a lady of culture and refinement. Their home at East Liverpool, Ohio, is one of elegance and beauty.

In 1909, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson and their son made a tour through Europe. On their return trip Mr, Thompson was stricken with pneumonia. On reaching New York, he was taken at once to the Presbyterian Hospital, where he died September 20, 1909. His remains were taken to East Liverpool for burial.