Newswise — At St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, the words "I'll Be Home For Christmas" mean more than students updating mom or dad on semester break plans. A graduate of the school is one of the composers of the classic 1943 holiday tune and, through his will, the University receives a third of his royalties.
Kim Gannon graduated from St. Lawrence in 1924; he also wrote the University's alma mater. Gannon passed away in 1974 and his will stipulated that St. Lawrence receive 30 percent of the royalties from all of his compositions after his wife's death. His widow, Norma Allen Gannon, St. Lawrence Class of 1925, passed away in 2000.
In 2008, the total amounted to $27,011. So far in 2009, St. Lawrence has received $30,038; by year's end, it's estimated that the total for 2009 will be over $34,000. While the University receives a third of the royalties paid on all of Gannon's works, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is by far the most popular.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) states that song is among the top 25 holiday songs receiving radio airplay over the past decade; it comes in at Number 12 on this year's list. While it's been recorded by over 300 artists, the most popular version on radio currently is by Josh Groban, according to the organization. New versions out this year include renditions by artists as varied as Bob Dylan and David Archuleta. The first to record it was Bing Crosby, in 1943.
A very popular composer during the "swing era," Gannon received three Academy Award nominations for his work. Of all of his songs, however, none is as popular as "I'll Be Home For Christmas."
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