Gitz Rice
Gitz Rice | |
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| Born | May 5, 1891 New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | October 16, 1947 (aged 56) |
| Spouse | Ruby Hoffman |
| Relatives | George W. Rice, first cousin |
| Military career | |
| Birth name | Ingraham Rice |
| Nickname(s) | Gitz |
| Allegiance | Canada/United Kingdom |
| Service/ | Canadian Expeditionary Force |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | 5th Battery, 2nd Brigade, Canadian Field Artillery |
| Battles/wars | Ypres, the Somme and Vimy Ridge |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | War songs |
| Occupation(s) | Performer, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
Lieutenant Gitz Rice (born Ingraham Rice; May 5, 1891 – October 16, 1947) was a
Early life
Ingraham "Gitz" Rice was born in 1891 in
Rice studied
Military career
Rice enlisted in the army on the exact day
Rice joined Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Comedy Company as a piano player from time to time.
I shall never forget, in one town, stealing a piano out of an old house that was being shelled. The piano would have been destroyed anyhow. We got a wagon, put the piano on the wagon, and drove down a road where thousands of infantry boys were lined along the sides. I couldn't keep my fingers from the keys, and started to play as we went along. There were shouts, cheers, and singing, and one English soldier came up to me in all seriousness and said: 'What is the idea of the celebration? Has peace been declared?' Of course, I had to answer the negative.[4]
Following the
Life after service
Having developed a reputation for writing numerous popular war songs, Rice moved to New York City in 1919 to pursue an entertainment career further.[1][3] He began as a piano accompaniment player, and continued to write.[3] Much of his work was based around emulating his war time experiences and performances, and he often appeared on stage in uniform.[6] He went on to create the successful vaudeville act "Gitzy Rice and His North West Mounted Police," which featured performers in Royal Canadian Mounties uniforms.[3][6] He wrote multiple musicals, although none matched the success of his other work.[1]
Rice stopped performing in 1930 in order to enter a public relations career, though he returned to the stage to entertain Canadian troops during World War II.[7]
Personal life
Rice married silent film actress Ruby Hoffman in 1918.[3]
He died in October 1947 after facing
Notable works
- "Dear Old Pal of Mine"
- "Keep Your Head Down, Fritzie Boy"
- "Mademoiselle from Armentières"
- "On the Road That Leads to Home"
References
Notes
- Edmund Rice is as follows: Edmund Rice (1594-1663); Thomas Rice (1626-1681); Thomas Rice (1654-1747); Beriah Rice (1702-1764); Beriah Rice, Jr. (1741-c1818); Robert Muckford Rice (1805-1892); Amos Ingraham Rice (c1850-?); Ingraham Rice (1891-1947).[2]
Citations
- ^ a b c d e "Lieutenant Gitz Rice, singer, entertainer, songwriter and pianist (1891–1947)". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 July 2014.
- ^ a b c Edmund Rice (1638) Association, 2020. Descendants of Edmund Rice: The First Nine Generations. [1]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Gitz Rice, Song Writer, Composer of Many Hit Numbers". The Gazette. 16 October 1947. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "The Story of Gitz Rice". The New York Times. June 16, 1918. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Gitz Rice". Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Stars of Vaudeville #623: Lt. Gitz Rice". Travalanche. 5 March 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
- ISBN 978-1617032493.
External links
- Works by or about Gitz Rice at Internet Archive
- Lieutenant Gitz Rice and Henry Burr
- Lieutenant Gitz Rice, singer, entertainer, songwriter and pianist (1891–1947)
- Gitz Rice at the Internet Broadway Database
- Gitz Rice
- Lieutenant Gitz Rice of the First Canadians : Life in a Trench in Belgium
- Gitz Rice
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