Vera Brady Shipman (May 26, 1889 – February 11, 1932) was an American composer, journalist, talent manager, and concert promoter, based in Kansas and Chicago.
Vera Corinne Brady was born in Salina, Kansas, [1] the daughter of John Leeford Brady and Julia Mary Simons Hoinville. Her father was a newspaper editor in Kansas, [2] and later in Oregon and Idaho. [3] He also served in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, between 1904 and 1913. Her uncle was James H. Brady, Governor of Idaho. [4] Her mother lived in Chicago. [5] Vera Brady attended Hyde Park Academy High School in Chicago, [6] and the Cosmopolitan School of Music. [7]
Shipman taught music and played in churches as a young woman. [8] She played piano accompaniment for various vocalists and instrumentalists, including singer Permelia Gale and cellist Vera Poppe. [9] She wrote music, including a setting of "Po' Li'l Lamb" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, [10] a song sung by her client Rosa Olitzka in concerts. [11] [12] She composed the music for Twenty Little Songs for Children (1914), with lyrics by Francesca de Capdevila (who later married cellist Pablo Casals). [13]
Shipman was an arts journalist. [14] She wrote for Radio Digest, [15] Social Progress, [16] [17] Musical America, [18] and was music and literary editor of The Salina Daily Union. [19] She also wrote film reviews, [20] and was a correspondent from the Republican National Convention in Chicago in 1920. [21] She was heard on radio in the 1920s, including a report from Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans in 1923. [22] She was a vice president of the Chicago chapter of American Pen Women of Illinois. [23] She was a publicist for a Chicago department store, [24] [25] and she booked tours and managed musical performers. [26] [27]
Brady married Melville Percy Shipman, a newspaper colleague of her father's, in 1913. [28] [6] They had two daughters, Mary Juliet Shipman (1915-1986) [29] and Sarah Ann Shipman (1921-1926). [30] Vera Brady Shipman moved from Kansas to Chicago in 1922. [31] She died in 1932, aged 42 years, in a Chicago hotel room, possibly by suicide, [32] [33] though her family announced that she died from a heart attack. [24] Her grave is in Lawrence, Kansas. [34]
John Leeford Brady.
Vera Brady Shipman (May 26, 1889 – February 11, 1932) was an American composer, journalist, talent manager, and concert promoter, based in Kansas and Chicago.
Vera Corinne Brady was born in Salina, Kansas, [1] the daughter of John Leeford Brady and Julia Mary Simons Hoinville. Her father was a newspaper editor in Kansas, [2] and later in Oregon and Idaho. [3] He also served in both houses of the Kansas Legislature, between 1904 and 1913. Her uncle was James H. Brady, Governor of Idaho. [4] Her mother lived in Chicago. [5] Vera Brady attended Hyde Park Academy High School in Chicago, [6] and the Cosmopolitan School of Music. [7]
Shipman taught music and played in churches as a young woman. [8] She played piano accompaniment for various vocalists and instrumentalists, including singer Permelia Gale and cellist Vera Poppe. [9] She wrote music, including a setting of "Po' Li'l Lamb" by Paul Laurence Dunbar, [10] a song sung by her client Rosa Olitzka in concerts. [11] [12] She composed the music for Twenty Little Songs for Children (1914), with lyrics by Francesca de Capdevila (who later married cellist Pablo Casals). [13]
Shipman was an arts journalist. [14] She wrote for Radio Digest, [15] Social Progress, [16] [17] Musical America, [18] and was music and literary editor of The Salina Daily Union. [19] She also wrote film reviews, [20] and was a correspondent from the Republican National Convention in Chicago in 1920. [21] She was heard on radio in the 1920s, including a report from Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans in 1923. [22] She was a vice president of the Chicago chapter of American Pen Women of Illinois. [23] She was a publicist for a Chicago department store, [24] [25] and she booked tours and managed musical performers. [26] [27]
Brady married Melville Percy Shipman, a newspaper colleague of her father's, in 1913. [28] [6] They had two daughters, Mary Juliet Shipman (1915-1986) [29] and Sarah Ann Shipman (1921-1926). [30] Vera Brady Shipman moved from Kansas to Chicago in 1922. [31] She died in 1932, aged 42 years, in a Chicago hotel room, possibly by suicide, [32] [33] though her family announced that she died from a heart attack. [24] Her grave is in Lawrence, Kansas. [34]
John Leeford Brady.