Jimmy Durante
James Francis Durante, better known as Jimmy Durante or Schnozzle (Snozzle)… Read Full Bio ↴James Francis Durante, better known as Jimmy Durante or Schnozzle (Snozzle) Durante, (February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor, whose distinctive gravel delivery, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose — his frequent jokes about it included a frequent self-reference that became his nickname: "Schnozzola" — helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s. He was also one of the most beloved people within the entertainment industry: an acquaintance once remarked of Durante, "You could warm your hands on this man."

Durante was born in New York City, the third of four children born to Mitch Durante (1855 –1929) and Margaret Durante (1858–1936). A product of working-class New York, Durante dropped out of school in the eighth grade to become a full-time ragtime pianist, working the city circuit and earning the nickname "Ragtime Jimmy," before he joined one of the first recognizable jazz bands in New York, the Original New Orleans Jazz Band. Durante was the only member of the group who didn't hail from New Orleans. His routine of breaking into a song to deliver a joke, with band or orchestra chord punctuation after each line became a Durante trademark. In 1920, the group was renamed Jimmy Durante's Jazz Band.

Durante became a vaudeville star and radio attraction by the mid-1920s, with a music and comedy trio called Clayton, Jackson and Durante. (Lou Clayton and Eddie Jackson, probably Durante's closest friends, often reunited with Durante professionally.) By 1934, he had a major record hit, his own novelty composition "Inka Dinka Doo," and it became his signature song for practically the rest of his life. A year later, Durante starred in the Billy Rose stage musical, Jumbo, in which a police officer stopped him while leading a live elephant and asked him, "What are you doing with that elephant?" Durante's reply, "What elephant?", was a regular show-stopper.

He began appearing in motion pictures at about the same time, beginning with a comedy series pairing him with silent film legend Buster Keaton and continuing with such offerings as The Wet Parade (1932), The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942, playing Banjo, a character based on Harpo Marx), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962, based on the 1935 musical) and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).
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Jimmy Durante Lyrics


A Way Of Life The wisdom of autumn The virtue of spring Is a way of…
Anything You Can Do Anything you can do I can do better I can do…
As Time Goes You must remember this, A kiss is still a kiss, A sigh…
Black Strap Molasses Black strap molasses and the wheat germ bread Makes you live…
Cecilia Little Miss Cecilia Green Little over sweet sixteen But the …
Dreams I'll see you in my dreams Hold you in my dreams Someone…
Frosty the Snowman Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul With a corncob…
Frosty, the Snowman Come a little closer children, I've got a story to…
Hello Young Lovers Baby, how long Baby how long Have that ev'nin train been g…
Hello, Young Lovers (From the 1951 Broadway Production of "the King and I") Hello, young lovers, whoever you are I hope your troubles ar…
Hi Lili A SONG OF LOVE IS A SAD SONG, HI-LILI, HI-LILI,…
Hi Lili, Hi Lo (from "Lili") On every tree there sits a bird Singing a song of…
I Believe I'm doing all I can... to separate your hate from…



I Could Have Danced All Night / It's My Nose's Birthday Bed, bed I couldn't go to bed My head's too light…
I'll Be Seeing You I'll be seeing you In all the old familiar places That this…
I'll See You in My Dreams I'll see you in my dreams Hold you in my dreams Someone…
I'm The Guy Who Found The Lost Chord I was sitting at my piano, the other day But my…
Ida Sweet As Apple Cider Ida, sweet as apple cider, Sweeter than all I know, a-ho-ho!…
If I Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
Ill Be Seeing You I'll be seeing you In all the old familiar places That this…
Ill See You in My Dreams I'll see you in my dreams Hold you in my dreams Someone…
In The Other Fellow's Yard Don?t believe the grass is always greener in the other…
Inka Dinka Do Once upon a time they sang the Fo, dee, oh, do But…
Inkadinkado Once upon a time they played that Fo, lo, dee, oh,…
It's My Nose's Birthday The other night I'm walking home and feelin' so gay When I'm…
Look Ahead Little Girl This is for you little CeCe, and all the other…
Make Someone Happy It's so important to Make someone happy, Make just one someo…
make someone happy from sleepless in seattle It's so important to Make someone happy, Make just one som…
My Wish [Chorus] May the love you will know When you know you're in…
Old Man Time Old man time, he's so mean Meanest man you've ever seen He…
Once to Every Heart Once to every heart Love will find its way Once to every…
One Of Those Songs Well, this is one of those songs that you hear…
Ragtime Cowboy Joe He always sings raggy music to the cattle As he swings…
September Song When I was a young man, courting the girls, I played…
September Song (From the 1938 Musical Play "Knickerboker Holiday") When I was a young man, caught in the girls I…
Smile Smile, Though your heart is achin' Smile, Even though it's b…
Star off each day with a song You gotta start off each day with a song Now even…
Start Off Each Day With A Song You gotta start off each day with a song Now even…
The Glory Of Love You've got to give a little, take a little And…
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World The most beautiful girl in the world Picks my ties out,…
The Song It's art that made the mold It's the difference between the…
The Time Is Now There is a time when there is time For everything the…
Try A Little Tenderness Oh she may be weary Them young girls they do get…
Umbriago I know a fellow A fellow can make your life so…
We're Going UFO'ing if you whan to get a thrill if you want to…
When Day Is Done Since you've gone away one thing is clear to me You…
When I Lost You When I Lost You I lost the sunshine and roses I lost…
You Can't Have Everything You can't have everything. Be satisfied with the little you…
You Gotta Start off Each Day With a Song You gotta start off each day with a song Now even…
You Made Me Love You You made me love you I didn't wanna do it I didn't…
Young At Heart Fairy tales can come true It can happen to you If you're…


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