Von Tilzer was born in Detroit, Michigan under the name Harry Gumm. Harry adopted his mother"s maiden name as his own. He ran away and joined a traveling circus at age 14, where he took his new name by adding "Von" to his mother"s maiden name "Tilzer".
Harry soon proved successful playing piano and calliope and writing new tunes and incidental music for the shows. He continued doing this in Burlesque and Vaudeville shows for some years, writing many tunes which were not published or which he sold to entertainers for 1 or 2 dollars. In 1898 he sold his song "My Old New Hampshire Home" to a publisher for $15, and watched it become a national hit, selling over 2 million copies of the sheet music
This prompted him to become a professional songwriter.
He was made a partner of the Shapiro Bernstein Publishing Company. His 1900 number "A Bird in a Gilded Cage" became one of the biggest hits of the age.
Von Tilzer became one of the best known Tin Pan Alley songwriters. Harry Von Tilzer"s hits included "A Bird in a Gilded Cage", "Cubanola Glide", "Wait "Til The Sun Shines Nellie", "Old King Tut", "All Alone", "Mariutch", "The Ragtime Goblin Manitoba," "I Love My Wife, But Oh You Kid!", "They Always Pick On Maine", "I Want A Girl (Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad)" (with lyrics by William Dillon), "And The Green Grass Grew All Around", "On the Old Fall River Lincolnshire", and many others
He died in New York City on January 10, 1946.
The Fisher Maiden (1903) - opera - composer
The Manitoba From Now (1906) - musical - featured composer
The Dairymaids (1907) - musical - featured songwriter
Ziegfeld Follies of 1910 (1910) - revue - featured composer for "I"ll Get You Yet"
Doctor Jazz (1975) - musical - featured songwriter for "I Love lieutenant"
Tintypes (1980) - revue - featured songwriter.
