A MOST POPULAR TUNE!

    SUNDAY, JUNE 27, 2021

   A MOST POPULAR TUNE!

     It's June the 27th. It was on this day

in 1859 that the most popular song in the

world was written! It's estimated that the

song is sung every minute of everyday

somewhere in the world. It's probably

sung to you one a year! It's "Happy Birthday!"

But it didn't srat out as Happy Birthday! The

sone was written by Mildred Hill, with lyrics

by her sister Patty, as a tune to be sun to schoo

students as they began their day. The original

lyrics were "Good morning to all. Good morning

to all. Good morning dear children. Good morning

to all."  Somewhere, somehow, over the years, people

started singing it as "Happy Birthday to you." In 

1934 a thrid sister, Jessica Hill, filed a lawsuit

based on the tune being traced to "Good morning

to all: and secured a copyright to the song! From

that time on anytime "Happy Birthday" was sung

publically a royality had to be paid. Whe the movie

All In Time was shot in Wilkes-Barre the scene in

which I appeared was to have been a birthday pary.

Rather than paying a royality the scene was changed

to a picnic. Finally another film maker, Jennifer

Nelson filed her own suit and a Federal judge ruled

the copyright qas no longer valid. That became

effictive in 2016 and Happy Birthday can now be

sung on stage, in padades, in movies , or anywhere

else without having to pay for the rights. So sing away!

Hope you're well and that all your NEWS is good!