Does anyone know when Ted Waite died?

Subject: Does anyone know when Ted Waite died?
From: GUEST,Ross23943204
Date: 23 Aug 24 - 06:31 PM

Hi there. I'm trying to find out when Ted Waite (the composer of I've Never Seen a Straight Banana) died for copyright reasons? I think it's a penname but it's all drawing blanks after the 1940s. Any help would be fantastic. Thanks.

-Ross

Subject: ADD: I've Never Seen a Straight Banana (Ted Waite)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Aug 24 - 06:50 PM

Hi, Ross -
I'm not finding a death date, but "General Worthington" was published in 1916 and "Straight Banana" in 1926. That puts them both in the public domain in the U.S.

I'VE NEVER SEEN A STRAIGHT BANANA
(Ted Waite)

Ohoho, my dear friends, I'm here today to talk to you all about the etiquette in society
I've never seen a straight banana. Oh, how I've tried

I've seen lots of funny things in my time, but there's one thing I've been trying hard to get
For years and years and years I've kept on searching, but I haven't had the luck to see one yet
Although I haven't seen one, you all know the thing I mean
And now I'm going to tell you what it is I haven't seen

I've never, never, n?ver, never, n?ver, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana
I've searched quite a bit, but I must admit, they’re even curved when they are served in my banana splits
I have seen them by the carloads, on the Delaware and Lacawana
But I've never, never, never, never, never, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana

Oh how much I've been yearning to see that straight banana, but unfortunately I've had no luck

In fact, I recall when I was in Alaska, I have seen the sunshine 12 o’clock at night
I've seen the waterfalls down at Niagara, I confess that it's a most impressive sight
I'd love to see a certain thing, but if it's not to be, I'd like to see somebody else who saw what I can’t see

I've never, never, never, never, never, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana
Though there’s things I hate, millions I have ate
But doggone me I've yet to see bananas that are straight
I have traveled far to find them, from the Argentine to Tijuana
But I've never, never, never, never, never, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana

I've never, never, never, never, never, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana
Once I chanced to see a murder mystery
The jury found the prisoner guilty in the first degree
All at once I heard the prisoner holler out
"This is the truth, your honor, I have never, never, never, never, never, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana!”
I've never, never, never, never, never, never, never, I've never seen a straight banana

Source: https://genius.com/Tiny-tim-ive-never-seen-a-straight-banana-lyrics


Here's the Tiny Tim recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wmw7fjADhE

Subject: RE: Does anyone know when Ted Waite died?
From: GUEST,Ross23943204
Date: 27 Aug 24 - 12:14 PM

After a lot of research, I found his actual name and his death date:

Ted Waite (Edward Platt)
21 February 1883 - 7th April 1971
https://imslp.org/wiki/Category:Waite,_Ted

Since his Major Worthington song is PD in Canada and USA, I've uploaded my Sibelius version onto IMSLP. Copyright still applies in the EU. I'm replying to this just to give an answer to the thread.

-Ross