Al Hoffman papers, 1922-1950

Al Hoffman was born in Minsk, Russia (now Belarus) on September 25, 1902. His parents moved to Seattle when he was six. After graduating from high school in Seattle, he started his own band, playing the drums, and moved to New York City in 1928 to pursue a music career. Though he continued playing the drums in night club bands and selling bagels door-to-door on Broadway, he began writing songs, collaborating with other songwriters such as Leon Carr, Leo Corday, Mann Curtis, Mack David, Milton Drake, Al Goodhart, Walter Kent, Sammy Lerner, Jerry Livingston, Dick Manning, Bob Merrill, Ed Nelson, and Maurice Sigler. In 1934 he moved to London to work on stage productions and movies, co-writing the hit songs "She Shall Have Music" and "Everything Stops for Tea". He returned to the U.S. three years later. In 1984 Al was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has over 1,500 songs registered with A.S.C.A.P. Al Hoffman died in New York City on July 21, 1960.