THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH., 2024
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MILDRED'!
It's June 27th friends! It's Mildred Hill's
Birthday and we really ought to sing for her~
Back in 1893 Mildred and her sister Patty
Hill, wrote a song for their nursery
school students. It was, originally, "Good
morning to you." Eventually it evolved into
"Happy Birthday to you."
And now you can sing it....for free!!!!!!
130 years ago a third sister filed a
Copyright on the song and, over most of
those years, publishing companies have been
collecting royalties whenever the song
was sung or played by a profit making
enterprise.
For instance the scene in which I appear
in the movie "All In Time" was written as a
Birthday Party. When the producers realized
they'd have to pay to use the "Happy
Birthday" the scene was changed to a picnic.
I did miss the cake!
Small change? Hardly! The royalties
brought in an estimated two million dollars
a year! Makes you think about writing
a song!
In 2015, however, a Federal Judge
ruled the copyright only applied to a
specific piano arrangement of the song. Not
to the song itself!
So if you or someone you know is
celebrating a Birthday...sing away and
bring a band to play the music if you
wish! It's all for fun...especially now that
it's all for free!
Hope you enjoy the party and that
all your NEWS is good!
It's June 27th friends! It's Mildred Hill's
Birthday and we really ought to sing for her~
Back in 1893 Mildred and her sister Patty
Hill, wrote a song for their nursery
school students. It was, originally, "Good
morning to you." Eventually it evolved into
"Happy Birthday to you."
And now you can sing it....for free!!!!!!
130 years ago a third sister filed a
Copyright on the song and, over most of
those years, publishing companies have been
collecting royalties whenever the song
was sung or played by a profit making
enterprise.
For instance the scene in which I appear
in the movie "All In Time" was written as a
Birthday Party. When the producers realized
they'd have to pay to use the "Happy
Birthday" the scene was changed to a picnic.
I did miss the cake!
Small change? Hardly! The royalties
brought in an estimated two million dollars
a year! Makes you think about writing
a song!
In 2015, however, a Federal Judge
ruled the copyright only applied to a
specific piano arrangement of the song. Not
to the song itself!
So if you or someone you know is
celebrating a Birthday...sing away and
bring a band to play the music if you
wish! It's all for fun...especially now that
it's all for free!
Hope you enjoy the party and that
all your NEWS is good!
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