Joseph H. Santly

American pianist, singer, songwriter, song plugger, and music publisher. Born 21 August 1886, New York, New York. Died 28 August 1962, New York, New York. Brother of songwriters Henry W. Santly and Lester Santly. This person is different than the Hollywood and Broadway director/producer Joseph Santley. Santly started in music business at the age of 13, plugging songs for M. Witmark & Company. Later he toured the old Orpheum vaude circuit, but left that business when his voice changed. He returned to plugging songs for music publishers Helf and Hager. He would play piano for performers and teach them new songs. It was at this time that he got the nickname "Banjo Eyes" for rolling his unusually large eyes while plugging songs. He and Johnny Nester, another plugger would tour the nickelodeons where Nester would sing and Santly would play piano. The duo also performed at cafes on 125th Street. At the height of vaudeville, Santly and Jack Norton performed in an act called "Singers With Trimmings". Years later he worked as a plugger for Watterson, Berlin & Snyder. He also worked for Jerome H. Remick Music. Santly remained in the music business all of his life--he started his own music publishing firm in the 1920's called Sanson Music, started one with his brothers Santly Bros., Inc. (Santly Bros.) in 1929, and started one with fellow songwriter Cliff Friend (Friend-ly Music) in 1949. He also ran London Music publishing in 1945 and then bought it from Guy Lombardo and his wife in 1949.