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164:, the American Society of Composers and Publishers. Bergantine’s songwriting included other original works such as "Why Am I Losing You" and "Forever With You." These were recorded following the success of "My Happiness." Bergantine also collaborated locally to write "Watch Your Step," which became a national safety song.
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and released in
January 1948. Bergantine shared musical credits with Betty Peterson. He was credited for melody. Peterson, the wife of music publisher Louis Blasco, was credited for lyrics. The flip side, which was "My Happiness," was the side people wanted to hear. The listening public fell in love
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Bergantine was blind in the right eye, the result of a play injury with a toy umbrella as a toddler. A fall in a tree while in Italy as a boy caused one of his legs not to thrive. The limp that developed was offset by a cane which
Bergantine came to rely on to get around. He was married in 1935.
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as a youngster. His last home, shared with his wife, Vita, and their two children, Patty and Billy, was at 4234 Grand Avenue North. "My
Happiness," was played at Bergantine’s funeral.
141:, Biagio Bergantino, became Americanized over time, first to Barny, and finally to Borney Bergantine. He was the son of Italian immigrants Nicholas and Anna Bergantino who moved to
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in
Memphis on July 18, 1953—a year after Bergantine's death. Elvis's Sun recordings, made over a three-year period beginning with "My Happiness," were inducted into the US Congress
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183:. "My Happiness" was played by "The Happiness Boys" wherever they performed. It was several years before the song itself, which Bergantine wrote about 1931, was recorded on an
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Jon & Sondra Steele who recorded the first version remade the song in 1970 and it was produced by Paul
Marshall, a former member of the psychedelic band of the 60s-the
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two years before he was born. Bergantine attended
Central Business College and was a graduate of Manuel High School. He was active in
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successfully recorded "My
Happiness" for MGM in 1959. "My Happiness" has been sung by many other artists including
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Bergantine was orchestra leader of "The
Happiness Boys", a Kansas City band of the 1930s. This was the time of
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Bergantine died July 4, 1952, at the age of 42. He was a lifelong Kansas City resident except for six years in
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with it. "My
Happiness" swept the record stores. It became a top song, winding up No. 2 on the charts.
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affairs as editor of The
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Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era
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of a record for a hit song. It was recorded by Jon and Sondra Steele on
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ever recorded. Presley recorded the then five-year-old song at
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199:"My Happiness" also has the fame of being the first song
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137:Bergantine was born October 3, 1909. His
121:(October 3, 1909 – July 4, 1952) was the
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160:Bergantine was granted membership into
275:. Xlibris Corporation. pp. 375–.
187:. "My Happiness" was selected for the
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360:20th-century American male musicians
350:Musicians from Kansas City, Missouri
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340:20th-century American composers
296:Bruce Pollock (18 March 2014).
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302:. Routledge. pp. 251–.
209:National Recording Registry
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218:. The first cover was by
345:American male composers
216:Strawberry Alarm Clock
181:the Great Depression
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355:Writers from Kansas
55:"Borney Bergantine"
272:Just Remember This
309:978-1-135-46296-3
282:978-1-4836-4519-3
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205:Sun Studios
143:Kansas City
324:Categories
256:References
238:Jim Reeves
139:birth name
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250:Pat Boone
211:in 2002.
189:flip side
123:composer
96:May 2016
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133:Career
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169:Italy
162:ASCAP
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