J. Leubrie Hill

J. Leubrie Hill (1873 – August 30, 1916) was a New Orleans-born composer, book writer, and performer whose Broadway career spanned from 1903 to 1914. The son of John W. and Rachel Hill, he was raised in Memphis, Tennessee, where he received his musical education. His early professional life took him through the American South as a touring singer and pianist.

Hill's collaborative instincts shaped his career from its earliest stages. By 1896 he had entered into a working partnership with fellow Tennessee performer and composer Alex Rogers. In the late 1890s he also formed a vaudeville duo with Shepard N. Edmonds, one of the earlier acts in that medium to feature two Black entertainers. In 1902 Hill relocated to New York City, where he established himself as a Tin Pan Alley songwriter. He and Rogers continued their collaboration in New York, contributing songs to the landmark African American musical In Dahomey in 1903.

His Broadway appearances included Rufus Rastus in 1906, Bandanna Land in 1908, Mr. Lode of Koal in 1909, Hello, Paris, and The Passing Show of 1912. He co-wrote Hello, Paris with J. Rosamond Johnson and also wrote the musical My Friend from Dixie.

Beyond Broadway, Hill founded the Colored Vaudeville Exchange and in 1913 produced and starred in My Friend from Kentucky at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem. The production was a significant hit, its vibrant dance numbers drawing New York City theatergoers uptown and launching a broader trend of audiences attending Harlem theater. Florenz Ziegfeld purchased the rights to several songs from the show, including Hill's composition "At the Ball, That's All," which was subsequently recorded by multiple artists on several record labels and later appeared in the 1937 Laurel and Hardy film Way Out West, performed by a cowboy vocal quartet with guitar accompaniment. Elements of My Friend from Kentucky were also incorporated into Darktown Follies, in which Hill starred when it debuted in 1914.

Hill appeared in the 1913 film Lime Kiln Field Day. His recorded works include "At the Ball, That's All," "Rock Me in the Cradle of Love," "Eddie Leonard's Molasses Candy," and "Daffy-Down-Dilly: Characteristic March Two-Step." He died in New York City on August 30, 1916.