Lanny Grey

Commercial-jingle writer ("I Go For a Man Who Wears an Adam Hat", "Baby, Bring Me Barricini"), composer, novelty songwriter ("I Would If I Could But I Can't"), singer, pianist and producer, educated at Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the staff of a New York music-publishing firm and later formed, with his wife, the radio singing team of Ginger and Lanny and the production firm Ginger and Lanny Grey Productions to write musical commercials. He also founded the Little Grey Fixit Shop and Grey Industries. Joining ASCAP in 1941, his chief collaborators included Mitchell Parish and Bing Crosby. His popular-song compositions include "He Holds the Lantern While His Mother Chops the Wood", "I Would If I Could But I Can't", "I Never Harmed an Onion So Why Should They Make Me Cry?", "Sayonara-Goodbye", and "My Flame Went Out Last Night With Somebody Else".