Songs of the Family
Songs Written by Notable Cousins ...
... Along With Some of the Favorite Songs of the Bissell Family
Click on a song title or the sheet music to connect to a YouTube version of the song.
Click on the author/composer name to connect to the Bissell Family History page about that person.
"Home on the Range" Performed by Tom Roush.
The lyrics to this song were first written by 6th Cousin Dr. Brewster Higley, 1873, as a poem titled "The Western Home." The song became especially popular during the 1930s. It is the state song of Kansas. The tune was written by Higley's friend, Daniel Kelly.
Performed by Chauncey Olcott.
The words to this song were co-written by 7th Cousin Chauncey Olcott in 1912. It was a Number One hit in 1913. It was introduced by Olcott in the stage musical "The Isle O' Dreams." Co-writers were George Graff, Jr. and Ernest Ball.
Performed by Chauncey Olcott.
Chauncey Olcott wrote the words and music for this song in 1899, for the stage production "A Romance of Athlone." In addition to his composing, Olcott was one of the greatest American Irish tenors.
Performed by Alan Jackson
The words of this popular hymn were written by 7th Cousin Frances Jane "Fanny" Crosby, one of the most prolific American hymn writers who wrote more than 9,000 hymns. She also published poetry.
"The Old Oaken Bucket" Peformed by Tom Roush.
The Bissell Family connection to this song has several aspects. It's a long tradition in Scituate, Mass. that the song "The Old Oaken Bucket" was inspired by the beautiful location where Bissell 9th Great-grandfather Michael Pierce is said to have built the first mill in the Massachusetts Colony, on Herring Brook in Scituate, MA. There's no question that Michael Pierce lived near Herring Brook. And even more importantly, Samuel Woodworth, composer of this song, is also a Bissell Cousin -- 8th Great-grandmother Deborah Woodworth was also born in Scituate, around 1682, and is related to Samuel Woodworth, who like Deborah descends from Walter Woodworth of Scituate.
Performed by the great Irish tenor John McCormack.
This song was co-written by Rida Johnson Young (lyrics) and music by Chauncey Olcott and Ernest R. Ball. Ms. Young was prolific, writing more than 30 plays and musicals and more than 500 songs. She turned this song into a book, made into a silent movie "Mother Machree" in 1928, directed by John Ford.
Performed by Tommy Edwards.
Charles Dawes, Bissell 8th Cousin, was a self-taught pianist and composer and he performed on the flute and piano. In 1912 he composed Melody in A Major and after he performed it for a friend, the friend took it to a music house and it was published. It became a well-known piano and violin piece and was played at many official functions as his signature tune.
It was transformed into the pop song It's All In The Game in 1951 when Carl Sigman added lyrics. The song was a number one hit in 1958 for Tommy Edwards, number 38 on Billboard’s All Time Top 100.
Dawes was better known, of course, as Vice President of the United States under Calvin Coolidge; Brigadier General in World War I with responsibility for procurement and distribution for the Allies; author of the Dawes Report for the League of Nations in 1924; and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Written and performed by Cheyenne Kimball.
Bissell Cousin Cheyenne Kimball is the step-daughter of Brett Kimball, son of Gwendolyn Bissell Kimball. Cheyenne won a national competition for "America's Most Talented Kid" in 2003 and followed that up with beginning her professional music career. She released an album in 2006 including a Billboard Hot 100 single "Hanging On." She was in Nashville and performing as part of the group Gloriana, which had multiple Top 40 Country hits, from 2008-2011. Cheyenne now lives in Nashville, working on music.
Some of the Favorite Songs of the Bissell Family
Suggestions for songs to be added to this list are gratefully accepted! The underlined song titles link to a YouTube version of the song.
Let The Rest of the World Go By sung here by Gordon MacRae and Jo Stafford in her 1950s LP album "Autumn in New York"
Written by Ernest Ball and J.K. Brennan in 1919.
Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag sung here by Oscar Seagle and the Columbia Stellar Quartette, Columbia Records, 25 Jan 1918.
Written by George Powell and Felix Powell in 1915, a World War I marching song. Gordon MacRae also did a recording of this for the movie "On Moonlight Bay" in 1951.
Smile the While sung here by Bing Crosby and Patti Page in 1952. A song about American soldiers going off to World War I.
Written by Richard Whiting and Raymond Egan in 1918, went to Number 1 in 1919.
This Land is Your Land sung here by Woodie.
Lyrics written by Woodie Guthrie in 1940, to an existing tune. It was recorded by him in 1944 and published in 1945.
Don't Fence Me In sung here by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1944, Number 1 for 8 weeks.
Written in 1934 by Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher.
Tell Me Why sung by a men's chorus.
Written by Roy Burtch and Fred Mower in 1913, in Indiana.
Edelweiss sung by Julie Andrews
Follow The Gleam -- I can't find a good choral version of this online.
Written by Helen Miller and Sallie Hume in a YWCA song-writing contest, based on a line from Tennyson's 1889 poem, "Merlin and the Gleam."
Moonlight Bay - a great version sung by one guy, Julien Neel, singing all four parts of a quartet
Shine On Harvest Moon a classic version sung by the great Leon Redbone. This song was the father-daughter dance at Kate Parker Horigan's wedding.
Can the Circle Be Unbroken sung by the Carter Family, 1927.
Down By the Riverside link to Pete Seeger version BROKEN - put in new link
The Auctioneer, one of Arthur Bissell's favorites,
Keep the Home Fires Burning --
K-K-K-A-T-Y --
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