Dailey Paskman

Lyricist, author, and producer Dailey Paskman was born in Philadelphia on July 24, 1897. During the 1920s, Paskman wrote lyrics for such composers as Rudolf Friml, Vincent Youmans, and Victor Young. In 1924, he became the director of WGBS, Gimbel’s radio station, where he adapted stage plays for radio performances. That year, he also formed The Dailey Paskman Radio Minstrels, a popular group that performed both on the radio and on vaudeville. He published two books on minstrelsy, “Gentlemen, Be Seated!” and “Blackface and Music.” In 1928, Paskman and Gimbel’s established the General Broadcasting System, with WGBS as the key station, and Paskman served as president until the station was sold to William Randolph Hearst. He also adapted Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” for the radio play SCROOGE (1947), which was performed annually by Lionel Barrymore and appeared on an MGM album. Paskman died in 1979.