Hank Fort

American singer, actress, composer, songwriter, teacher, author and socialite. Born 19 June 1908 Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Died 12 January 1973 (aged 64) Washington, District of Columbia, USA. Married stock broker turned singer for an album with her: Bill McAuliffe (1964). She was educated at the Peabody Demonstration School. She acted in summer stock and sang cornball songs on television, radio and in night clubs, and made a number of recordings. Also, she wrote scripts and musical commercials, and taught dancing. Fort composed over 400 songs. Joining ASCAP in 1949, her popular-song compositions include "I Didn't Know the Gun Was Loaded", "Save Your Confederate Money, Boys, The South Shall Rise Again", "Protocol", "Put Your Shoes On, Lucy (Don't You Know You're In the City?)", "Pic-a-Nic-In the Park", "Lady Bird", "Cherry Blossom Spring", "The Boardwalk", "Southern Cookin'", "My One Track Heart", "I Love Connecticut", "Tall Tales of Texas", "Ah-Nah-Pahp-Pah-La Day", "Can't Wait", "My Favorite Friend", and "The Written Guarantee". Owner of the Washington, D.C.-based Gemini (22) record label and its affiliated publishing company, Gemini Music Co.,. Her father was the illustrious artist Cornelius Hankins and her mother was the noted writer/artist Maude McGehee Hankins. At her funeral Senators John L. McClellan and Barry Goldwater were among the pallbearers. Aside from her professional career in music, she also taught at and wrote for the Peabody Demonstration School.