Partner
George Cory
Queer Places:
1210 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Hartley Cemetery
Lakeport, Lake County, California, USA
The song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” was written by Douglass Cross (May 4, 1920 - January 7, 1975) for
George Cory, after they visited San Francisco in 1954.
When the song was written, Cory and Cross were amateur songwriters who had
moved to New York following military service during WW II and had become
homesick for the West Coast. After pitching the song unsuccessfully to other
artists for about eight years, the song was picked up by Ralph Sharon, Tony
Bennett's musical director, who suggested to Bennett that it would be a good
song for a 1962 "Happy New Year" engagement scheduled at the Fairmont Hotel in
San Francisco. Mayor George Christopher and future mayor Joseph L. Alioto were
in attendance. After a good response to the song, Bennett recorded it shortly
and released it in February 1962.[3]
The song became an enduring hit and in 1969 was named as the official song of
San Francisco and the two authors were present for the city's board of
supervisors unanimous decision to select it.[4]
Harry Douglass Cross Jr. was born on May 4, 1920 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, the son of Harry Douglass Cross
(1882–1949) and
Mae Elizabeth Hammack (1890–1967). While in the army, Cory met Douglass Cross who was also in the service at
the time. During the war, Cory and Cross collaborated on musical shows for
servicemen.[8]
After military service, the two moved to Brooklyn, New York, to make a career
of songwriting and met with mixed success.
In the 1950s they wrote special material for artists such as
Billie Holiday,
Pearl Bailey,
Chris Connor,
Mabel Mercer and Bobby Short. They wrote over 200 songs together,
but only 30 were published. The song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" was
their only commercial success. Cory said, "It was pure nostalgia. We missed
the warmth and openness of the people and the beauty. We never took to New
York."[2]
The song provided them income for life when it became an international hit.[9]
In 2003, authors Cory and Cross received the "Towering Song Award" for the
song, given by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and presented at the National
Academy of Popular Music's 34th annual induction ceremony. Tony Bennett
received the "Towering Performance Award for his trademark rendition of the
song.[10]
1210 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA
Cross was also a singer, an actor and a radio personality.
Cross died on January 7, 1975, age 54, in Petaluma, California. Cory
committed suicide in 1978.
In 2017 Bill Christine published "They Left Their Hearts in San Francisco:
The Lives of Songwriters George Cory and Douglass Cross."
My published books:
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