Black American Sheet Music Collection
The Bank of America Black American Sheet Music Collection consists of approximately 4000 pieces of published sheet music reflecting the influences of African Americans on popular music in the United States. The music was created by, performed by, published by, or portrays Black and African American themes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States. The collection highlights popular vocal music, jazz, big band, and swing music published in the United States. The earliest piece in the collection dates to 1818, and the latest editions date into the 1980s, thereby giving a chronicle of the evolution of Black-inspired music in America for almost 200 years. Some imagery and lyrics in this collection reflect harmful racist depictions of Black people and are included in the collections for their use in academic research.
Content Warning:
USF Libraries’ Digital Collections include historical and primary sources from many cultures and time periods. Some content may be harmful, graphic, difficult to view, or reflect biases. Digital Collections provides access to these materials to preserve the historical record, but we do not endorse the attitudes, prejudices, or behaviors found within them. USF Libraries’ is committed to conscious editing of Libraries’ generated descriptive terminology that may be offensive, harmful, or out of date.
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Kiss Me Goodnight
Ben Bernie, Vernon Stevens, Gladys Gillette, and Elmer Olson
The piano score and lyrics for "Kiss Me Goodnight" with music and lyrics by Ben Bernie, Vernon Stevens, Gladys Gillette, and Elmer Olson.
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Lasses White All-Star Minstrels Music Album
Leroy Robert "Lasses" White
Scores for the following songs as part of Lasses White All-Star Minstrels show: "Pat Your Foot," "What Will I Do without You," and "If You Knew What it Meant to be Lonesome."
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Last Dream
Blind Boone
The score for "Last Dream" by Black composer "Blind Boone," the pseudonym of John William Boone.
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Li'l Boy
William H. Neidlinger and Frank L. Stanton
The score and lyrics for "Li'l Boy" with music by William H. Neidlinger and lyrics by Frank L. Stanton.
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Little Cotton Dolly
Adam Geibel and Richard Henry Buck
The vocal score for tenors and basses for "Little Cotton Dolly" with music by Adam Geibel and lyrics by Richard Henry Buck.
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Little Katy
James Simmonds and Quos
The piano and vocal score for "Little Katy or Hot Corn" with music by Quos and lyrics by James Simmonds. Song and chorus sung by Wood's Minstrels.
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Little Mother of Mine
H. T. Burleigh and Walter H. Brown
The score for "Little Mother of Mine" with words by Walter H. Brown and music by H.T. Burleigh.
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Liza, 1909
Egbert Van Alstyne and Harry Williams
The piano and vocal score for "Liza" with music by Egbert Van Alstyne and lyrics by Harry Williams.
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Liza, 1922
Maceo Pinkard, Nat Vincent, and Irvin C. Miller
The piano and vocal score for "Liza." The book was by Irvin C. Miller, a Black writer. Lyrics and music by Maceo Pinkard, a Black songwriter, and lyrics by Nat Vincent.
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Lonesome for you
Shelton Brooks
The vocal and piano score for "Lonesome for you," with music and words by Shelton Brooks, a Black songwriter.
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Lord! Have Mercy on a Married Man
J. Fred Helf and Edgar Leslie
The piano and vocal score for "Lord! Have Mercy on a Married Man" with music by J. Fred Helf and lyrics by Edgar Leslie. Music was for Lew Dockstader's minstrel shows.
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Louie Lee
George W. Howard Griffin
The piano and vocal score for "Louie Lee" by George W. Howard. Griffin. Sung by D.S. Wambold of George Christy and Wood's Minstrels.
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![Lousiana [sic] Belle by Frank Spencer and Stephen Collins Foster](https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/aa_sheet_music/1251/thumbnail.jpg "Lousiana [sic] Belle by Frank Spencer and Stephen Collins Foster")
Lousiana [sic] Belle
Frank Spencer and Stephen Collins Foster
The piano and vocal score for "Lousiana Belle" [sic] with music by Stephen Foster Collins and arranged by Frank Spencer.
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Love's Philosophy
Clarence Lucas and P. B. Shelley
Malagueña, a Spanish dance of African origin. Music in the Moorish style of Southern Spain by Clarence Lucas and P.B. Shelley.
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Love will Find a Way
Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake
The piano and vocal score for "Love will Find a Way." Words and music are by Noble Sissle, a Black composer and lyricist, and James Hubert "Eubie" Blake, a Black pianist and composer.
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Lovie Joe
Joe Jordan and Will Marion Cook
The vocal and piano score for "Lovie Joe," with lyrics by Will Marion Cook, a Black composer, and music by Joe Jordan, a Black pianist and composer.
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Ma Black Tulip
Charles K. Harris and Joseph Clauder
The piano and vocal score for "Ma Black Tulip" arranged by Joseph Clauder and composed by Charles K. Harris.
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Ma Ebony Belle
Maurice Levi and Ed Gardenier
The piano and vocal score for "Ma Ebony Belle" with music by Maurice Levi and lyrics by Ed Gardenier.
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Magdaline, My Southern Queen!
John Rosamond Johnson, Robert Allen Cole, and James Weldon Johnson
The piano and vocal score for "Magdaline, My Southern Queen!" by Robert Allen Cole, a Black lyricist, and John Rosamond Johnson, a Black composer. Cole wrote the words alongside Johnson's brother James Weldon Johnson, a Black American writer and civil rights activist.
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Maggie May
Sherman Creig and R. F.C. Ellis
The score for "Maggie May" arranged by R.F.C. Ellis and composed by Sherman Creig. From Favorite Songs as sung by J.C. Reeves of Hooley and Campbell's Minstrels.
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Mah Little Tater Blossom
Alice Mayfield and Mary Wall Spring
The score for "Mah Little Tater Blossom" by Mary Wall Spring and Alice Mayfield. Arranged for medium voice and piano. From "Two Songs from the South." Dedicated to Rutherford Olliphant.
