About Sidney Clare
Lived 1892 – 1972 (aged 80). Sidney Clare was an American songwriter, composer, dancer, actor and musician.
Sidney Clare (August 15, 1892 – August 29, 1972) was an American comedian, dancer and composer. His best-known songs include "On the Good Ship Lollipop" (introduced by Shirley Temple), "You're My Thrill" (recorded by Billie Holiday), and "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" (featured in the cartoon One Froggy Evening).
In 1929, Clare wrote his first full film score for Street Girl. He did the film scores for Tanned Legs, Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round, Sing and Be Happy, Hit the Deck, Jimmy and Sally, Bright Eyes, The Littlest Rebel and Rascals.
The Oxford English Dictionary credits Clare with the earliest usage of the term "rock and roll" in 1934 on the soundtrack for the movie Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round. In the early 1940s Clare and several of his fellow hitmakers formed a sensational revue called Songwriters on Parade, performing all across the Eastern seaboard on the Loew's and Keith circuits. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Selective list of songs "On the Good Ship Lollipop" "What Do You Mean by Loving Somebody Else?" "I'm Missin' Mammy's Kissin" "Weep No More My Mammy" "Oo-Oo Ernest" "The Shy Violet" "A New Kind of Man" "Ma! He's Making Eyes at Me" (with Con Conrad) "Big Butter and Egg Man" "Me and the Boyfriend" "We’re Back Together Again" "Then I’ll Be Happy" "Miss Annabelle Lee" "One Sweet Letter From You" "Lovable and Sweet" "My Dream Memory" "Keeping Myself for You" "You're My Thrill" "I’ve Got You on Top of My List" "It Was A Night in June" "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" "I'd Climb the Highest Mountain (If I Knew I'd Find You)"
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Important facts
People in Sidney Clare's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Sidney Clare's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Sidney Clare?
American comedian, dancer and composer (1892-1972)
When was Sidney Clare born?
Sidney Clare was born on 15 August 1892 in New York City.
When did Sidney Clare die?
Sidney Clare died on 29 August 1972 in Los Angeles.
What was Sidney Clare's occupation?
Sidney Clare was a songwriter, composer, dancer, actor and musician.
What nationality was Sidney Clare?
Sidney Clare was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sidney Clare. https://biography.guide/sidney-clare/
MLA: "Sidney Clare." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sidney-clare/.
Chicago: "Sidney Clare." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sidney-clare/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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