Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Statue of Historic Figure: George M. Cohan - Providence, RI

George M. Cohan
Providence, RI


N 41° 49.220 W 071° 23.620



Short Description: 

A statue of native son, lyricist, composer, producer, and actor, George M. Cohan is located on the corner of Wickenden and Governor Streets in the Fox Point neighborhood near where he was born in Providence, RI.

Long Description:

A life size bronze statue of depicts George M. Cohan from the waist up. Mr. Cohan is wearing a jacket with a flower in its left lapel, a vest, a high collar shirt, and a bow tie. His head tilted towards his left shoulder as he is holding his hat in his right hand above his right shoulder. His left arm is extended forward with his hand open, palm up. The statue rests on a 4' high square granite base. The statue was created by Robert Shure at the Skylight Studios and dedicated on July 3, 2009.



The bronze plinth of the sculpture is inscribed GEORGE M. COHAN. A bronze plaque on the front of the base is inscribed:

Son of Providence
Born July 3, 1878 on Wickenden Street
Father of the American Musical Comedy

Engraved on the base is fox point, WICKENDEN ST. GOVERNOR ST.

George Michael Cohan, the grandson of Irish immigrants, was born in Providence, RI into a vaudeville family on July 3, 1878. Together with his sister, Josephine, and parents, Jeremiah and Helen Costigan Cohan, they performed under the name the Four Cohans. In 1904, he began his career as a lyricist, composer, producer, and actor in Broadway musicals. He wrote and published numerous songs during his career and is considered the father of the American musical comedy. George M. Cohan died in New York City on November 5, 1942. He was inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.

Song list from the Songwriters Hall of Fame website:

BIG PARADE, THE 
BILLIE 
BLUE SKIES, GRAY SKIES 
BORN AND BRED IN BROOKLYN 
CHARMING 
COHAN’S SONGS OF YESTERYEAR 
DANCING MY WORRIES AWAY 
DARN GOOD CRY 
EASTER SUNDAY PARADE 
EPILOGUE 
FATHER OF THE LAND WE LOVE 
FOR THE FLAG, FOR THE HOME 
FORTY FIVE MINUTES FROM BROADWAY 
GEORGE WASHINGTON, JR. 
GIVE MY REGARDS TO BROADWAY 
GOD IS GOOD TO THE IRISH 
GOODBYE BARGRAVIA 
GREAT NEW YORK POLICE 
HARRIGAN 
HERE COME THE SOLDIERS 
HINKY DEE, THE 
I GUESS I’LL HAVE TO TELEGRAPH MY BABY 
I LOVE YOU 
I WAS BORN IN VIRGINIA 
I’D RATHER WRITE A SONG 
I’M A ONE GIRL MAN My Town 
IN A KINGDOM OF OUR OWN 
INDIANS AND TREES 
JOHNNY Q. PUBLIC 
LIFE’S A FUNNY PROPOSITION AFTER ALL 
LITTLE NELLIE KELLY 
LOVE DREAMS 
MARCH OF THE CARDINALS 
MARY’S A GRAND OLD NAME 
MOLLY MALONE 
MUSICAL COMEDY MAN 
MY LITTLE GIRL 
NAME OF KELLY, THE 
NELLIE KELLY 
OVER THERE 
REVOLUTIONARY RAG 
RING TO THE NAME OF ROSE, A 
ROSE 
SHOES THAT HURT 
SO LONG, MARY 
THIS IS OUR SIDE OF THE OCEAN 
THOMAS EDISON, MIRACLE MAN 
THOSE LOVELY LOVE SONGS 
TO HEAVEN ON THE BRONX EXPRESSWAY 
TWENTIETH CENTURY LOVE 
TWO OF US, THE 
UNTIL MY LUCK COMES ROLLING 
VENUS, MY SHINING LOVE 
VOICE IN MY HEART 
WHAT A MAN 
WHAT THIS COUNTRY NEEDS 
WHEN JUNE COMES ALONG WITH A SONG 
WHEN NEW YORK WAS NEW YORK 
WHEN YOU COME BACK, IF YOU EVER DO 
WHERE WERE YOU, WHERE WAS I? 
YANKEE DOODLE BOY, THE 
YOU CAN’T DENY YOU’RE IRISH 
YOU REMIND ME OF MY MOTHER 
YOU WON’T DO ANY GOOD 
YOU’RE A GRAND OLD FLAG 

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