Baron Keyes

First Name: Baron
Last Name: Keyes
Body Build: Average
Occupation: Musician, Journalist, Screenwriter
Hair Color: Black
Nationality: American
Place of Death: Gardena, California

Baron Keyes (born as Alger Ira Soule) was staff announcer, journalist, musician, and screenwriter. He was born on October 2, 1898 in Greenwood, Wisconsin, USA.

Family

His parents were Frank Oscar Soule, a high school teacher, a principal and a superintendant and Marguerite Tina Moercken Schofield Soule, a high school teacher too. His father was a descendant of George Soule of the Plymouth Colony, one of the 102 original pilgrims from Mayflower. He had two younger sisters and two younger brothers . His family called him Al.

Education

He grew up in Wisconsin and he only studied primary school and highschool. He was taught by his mother how to play piano. In 1918, he started his military career in the 39th Coastal Artillery Corp.

He didn’t have the chance to fight. After the war ended he was sent home and started studying Art Institute in Chicago.

Career

Between 1920 to 1923 he worked at various newspapers: The Milwaukee Journal and then The Albuquerque Journal, El Paso Times and The Arizona Republican. After these work experiences, he started working with the writing staff of Leo Feist, Inc., the largest music publishing business in the USA.

In February 1924 he started working in the radio business and adopted the stage name “Baron Keyes”.

The following year he formed a band called Baron Keyes and His Heartstrings.

In 1927 Baron Keyes, collaborated with lyricist George Waggner on what was to be the most successful song of his career, “Sweet Someone”.

Between 1936 and 1950 he wrote his own compositions , as well as songs for the radio and for Harman-Ising Cartoons, MGM and Walt Disney.

The next two years he worked in television as screenwriter for Candy and Nancy show.

Personal Life

Between 1925 and 1927 he met a showgirl named Jean and married her. They divorced in the late 1920’s, and Al moved back into his parent’s home and lived with them for the rest of their lives. Alger suffered from mental illness and suffered complication because of alcohol abuse. He was in and out of mental care facilities many times during his life. Any income that Alger made he signed over to Marguerite who financially supported him until her death in 1968. After that, Al lived in a series of small rented apartments. His sister Bonnie watched after Al until his death on September 26, 1976.