Charles Daniels studied music and played classical piano in Kansas City; however, in his work as a sheet music demonstrator he became known as a ragtime pianist. He won a song contest in 1898 for a composition called “Margery” which was performed by John Phillips Sousa.

The following year Daniels wrote “You Tell Me Your Dream, I’ll Tell You Mine” with Seymour A. Rice and Albert H. Brown, but when the company that held the royalties to his first composition, refused to grant him royalties for the tune he wisely formed his own publishing company. His next song, “Hiawatha,” started a craze for native American music. It was such a hit that his catalogue was purchased at a record price and he went to work in Detroit for what became Remick Music, a major music publisher, where he became an influential marketer credited with popularizing ragtime music.

Because of his daughter’s ill health, Daniels moved to San Francisco in 1918 and started his own business again. He composed several songs with lyricist Harry Williams, including “Mickey,” which became the title tune of a Max Sennett film and started the “film music” trend. Financial problems forced Daniels to sell his business, but he formed a new company, Villa Moret, Inc. in 1924. With Ben Black they published Edwin Lemare’s “Adantino” to great success, renaming it “Moonlight and Roses.” Daniels published several songs under the name of Neil Moret, including “Chloe” (1927 with Gus Kahn) and “She’s Funny That Way” (1928 with Richard Whiting).

- Sandra Burlingame