In the early 1930s, Tot Seymour was writing lyrics for Hollywood movies. She teamed up with composer Vee Lawnhurst. They founded a company called Famous Music. Seymour and Lawnhurst touted themselves as "the first successful team of girl song writers in popular music history".
Their songs may not be familiar today. But in the 1930s they were all over the radio.
Their song "Accent on Youth" was recorded by a number of big bands. Duke Ellington had a popular version of it. The song was featured in the 1935 film also called Accent on Youth.
Lawnhurst composed in a bouncy ragtime style. This fit well with Seymour's catchy lyrics. Seymour used popular phrases of the time.
Another popular song by the duo was "Please Keep Me In Your Dreams" recorded by Billie Holiday.
The Tot Seymour papers at UW's American Heritage Center contain her lyrics and recordings of her songs.
