Mary Jane Doer, former News-Review contributor, publishes new book

PETOSKEY — A former longtime freelance writer for the News-Review has published a new book about the largely unknown story and life of the blind lyricist J. Will Callahan.

Mary Jane Doerr, author of the book "The Songs of J. Will Callahan, Tin Pan Alley's Blind Lyricist," worked under former News-Review publisher Ken Winter and wrote for the paper from 1979 up until a few years ago.

Her new book is about Callahan, his time in the Petoskey area and the lyrics he wrote for nearly 300 songs.

"'Smile' was his most famous," said Doerr. "He wrote that in 1917 and it sold five million copies and was published in at least four continents and in numerous languages and he wrote it right here in Bay View."

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Doerr became fascinated with the lyricist after doing research for her first novel "Bay View, An American Idea."

"From all of the research for that book I actually came up with a lot of music from Tin Pan Alley and learned that Callahan had a cottage in Bay View that overlooked the woods," she said.

"There's a little sign there too that talks about 'Smile' and that it was written right here in Bay View but that is really all I knew at the time."

Doerr dove into her curiosity and continued her research.

The book, now published and on store shelves, contains about 200 color reprints of his songs and tells his story.

There are tales of how he sang with Abe Lorenzo and Richard Whidting and the Tunesters in Harbor and at the Argon Club in Charlevoix. The book also shares stories of how Callahan sang for silent movies in Petoskey and even directed the Petoskey Band.

"So I had all of this music and history I collected but then the internet really helped with it all too," said Doerr.

"I had a lot of help locally, too, with a local graphic artist and a few others contributing to the editing and whatnot. It's been very much a local project and I'm very fortunate to have had such great help in telling this story," she said.

"The Songs of J. Will Callahan, Tin Pan Alley's Blind Lyricist" is currently available at Mclean & Eakin Booksellers and Arlington Jeweler in Petoskey. It's also available at the Terrace Inn in Bay View and at www.maryjanedoerr.com.

Contact reporter Sean Miller at smiller@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on Twitter, @seanmillerpnr, and Instagram, @sean_everest.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Former News-Review contributor publishes new book