Born Clara Gerlich in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Clara Edwards grew up studying voice and piano. She attended both the Mankato State Normal School in Mankato, Minnesota, and the Cosmopolitan School of Music in Chicago, Illinois. In her early career, she toured Vienna, Austria as a singer. After the death of her husband, she began composing to support herself and her daughter. She became a member of the ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) in 1925. During this time, she composed works such as “With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair” and “Into the Night”. 

Edwards frequently collaborated with Jack Lawrence, who wrote the text for her compositions. Her work gained popularity, as she was able to seamlessly blend art song and parlor music, captivating audiences. Several prolific singers took a liking to Edwards’ work; most notably Italian opera singer, Ezio Pinza, who would frequently perform “Into the Night” on the radio program The Telephone Hour. 

Beyond her work as a composer, Edwards toured within the Vaudeville scene, was involved in organizing the Chautauqua Concert Company, and wrote incidental music for children’s plays and cartoon programs. 

– Lucy Koukoudian

This profile was created during the 2023-2024 academic year as part of the Song of America Fellowship Program, a project of the Classic Song Research Initiative between the Hampsong Foundation and the University of Michigan, School of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Bibliography:

Finn, Robert. “Edwards [Née Gerlich], Clara,” April 19, 2002.