Clay Boland

Clay Boland was a dentist and composer of popular songs. He was born October 25, 1903 in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, United States.[1]

He studied dentistry at the University of Philadelphia. In 1924, he won a university competition for a prom song with a composition entitled Dreary Weather.[2] He then composed music for the university's Mask and Wig Club, collaborating especially with lyricist Moe Jaffe in writing the songs for many of their shows. He also performed as a pianist with leading big bands of the era and was noted for his skills as an arranger. He subsequently practised as a dentist in Ardmore, Pennsylvania but continued to compose and participate as a partner in the music publishing business.[3]

During World War II, he served as a lieutenant commander in the US Navy's Dental Corps, and was called up again for active duty in 1950 at the time of the Korean War.[4]

In later life, he lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey and died on 23 July 1963, aged 59, in the Naval Hospital of St. Albans, Queens.[5]