Raymond Hubbell led a dance band and worked for a music publisher as staff arranger and pianist before turning his attention to stage musicals in 1902. His first show, for which he wrote both music and lyrics, opened in Chicago and then moved to Broadway where it underwent a change of name from Chow Chow to The Runaways. Between 1911 and 1917 he wrote the music for seven of the Ziegfeld Follies and scored or contributed music to over 30 shows during his career, working with a number of lyricists--Robert B. Smith, George V. Hobart, Anne Caldwell, and John L. Golden.

Most of Hubbell’s compositions have not maintained their popularity. But “Poor Butterfly,” which was introduced in 1916’s The Big Show with a lyric by Golden, has remained a jazz standard recorded by musicians from Benny Goodman to Jerry Vale to Yusef Lateef. The Spanish version, “Pobre Mariposa,” was very popular and was even recorded with strings.

Hubbell’s collaboration with Caldwell produced two hit shows. Yours Truly, starring Irene Dunne, opened in 1927 and enjoyed a revival the following year, and 1928’s Three Cheers starred Will Rogers. Hubbell retired to Miami, Florida, at the end of the show’s run.

The ASCAP Foundation Raymond Hubbell Award for music composition was established by his widow and is given yearly to a deserving college student.

- Sandra Burlingame