With Johnny Mercer he wrote the theme song of Tinseltown, "Hooray for Hollywood", shortly before his death. In Hollywood he wrote a number of film scores and classic songs. In 1929, Whiting moved to Hollywood, where there were more opportunities for songwriters during the Depression.
Other hit songs written by Whiting during his time at Remick include "Where the Black-Eyed Susans Grow" (1917), " The Japanese Sandman" (1920), "Bimini Bay" (1921, lyrics by Egan and Gus Kahn), " Ain't We Got Fun?" (1921, lyrics by Egan and Kahn) and " Ukulele Lady" (1925, lyrics by Kahn). The song quickly became the largest sheet music seller of all time, even today: at last count the song was said to have sold over 11 million copies. During his time at Remick Whiting had a substantial output, mostly with former bank-clerk Ray Egan, including 1918's, " Till We Meet Again". Whiting received none of the royalties, however, having sold off the publishing rights to Remick in exchange for a Steinway grand piano. In 1914, Whiting had his first two hit songs: "I Wonder Where My Lovin' Man Has Gone" and "It's Tulip Time in Holland." The latter song became a massive hit, selling over a million copies. To supplement his income at the time, Whiting worked with a local hotel's Hawaiian band, playing piano in light blackface, earning him an extra $10 a week. This act of kindness resulted in a lifelong friendship between the two powerhouse composers. As an occasional talent scout, Whiting nurtured the careers of several songwriters from the day, most notably George Gershwin Whiting heard Gershwin playing one day and gave him a job as a song plugger for Remick company. Within a year he was the manager of the Detroit office, being paid US$25 per week. In 1913, Whiting began his career as a song plugger for Jerome H.
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They broke up the duo and went their separate ways: Neilan to Hollywood, where he would go on to be a successful film director and actor, and Whiting to Detroit to try to jump-start a career as a professional songwriter. The pair briefly toured the United States writing songs, singing, and playing the piano although neither one had the stage presence or singing talent to become full-time performers.
Upon his graduation, Whiting started a vaudeville act with his college friend Marshall Neilan. He attended the Harvard Military School in Los Angeles. Together they instilled a love of music in their son and worked towards nurturing his natural gift of piano playing. His father, Frank Whiting, was a real estate agent and gifted violinist his mother Blossom was a piano teacher.
Richard Whiting was born in Peoria, Illinois, United States, into a musical family.
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