Leo Friedman

American composer and publisher of popular music. Born July 16, 1869 in Elgin, Illinois, USA. Died March 7, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Best remembered for composing the sentimental waltz "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" and "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland", both with lyrics by Beth Slater Whitson in 1910. Friedman wrote the score for the popular racist ragtime song, "Coon, Coon, Coon", in 1900, with lyrics by Gene Jefferson in 1901. The song was claimed to be the most successful song of 1901. It was published & promoted by "Sol Bloom, the Music Man" of Chicago. Friedman charted as a songwriter six times in the U.S. between 1910-1962 including two #1 songs. Early in 1910, "Meet Me Tonight in Dreamland" by Elizabeth Wheeler & Harry Anthony hit #4 and later in the year by Henry Burr hit #1. "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" by Arthur Clough hit #2 in May of 1911 and by The Peerless Quartet hit #1 in November of the same year. "Dreamland" charted again in 1938 (Jimmie Davis, #13) and "Sweetheart" in 1962 (Timi Yuro, #66, #15 adult contemporary).