Songwriter ("Ain't Misbehavin'"), composer and pianist, he was educated in public schools, then was a pianist in dance orchestras and a staff composer for a publishing company. Joining ASCAP in 1930, he collaborated musically with Andy Razaf and Fats Waller. He composed the Broadway stage scores for "Snapshots of 1921" and "Connie's Hot Chocolates". His other song compositions include "Rockin' In a Rockin' Chair", "Swing, Mr. Charlie", "Black and Blue", "Saturday", "Low Tide", "When the Sun Sets South", "In the Meantime", "Strictly From Dixie", and "On the Loose".