Harry Baisden was an American composer of popular music, arranger, pianist, and an acclaimed dance orchestra leader. While a musician in the U.S. Army 2nd Infantry Band during World War I, Baisden composed several popular wartime songs, namely "Iowa, We Owe A Lot To You," "Meet Me At The Red Cross Ball," "I'll Steal You," and "Camp Cody Blues."
Early career
; Minnesota The earliest extant published reference found of Baisden's avocation as a musician appears in the 1910 MinneapolisCity Directory. In 1911, Baisden was a pianist with the Lucas Show, a medicine show managed by Dr. George F. Lucas. The show featured Baisden with drummer Glenn Silk, The Three Aerial Lucases, gymnasts, York & DeLisco's Animal Circus , and John P. Mack as comedian. The show reportedly performed to capacity audiences in and around Minnesota, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota. Baisden ended his engagement with Lucas sometime before September 1911. ; World War I During the war, Baisden had been a member of the 2nd Iowa Infantry Band, mustered in 1916 at Camp Dodge, Iowa. As some point, the band, conducted by John Valentine Eppel, was deployed to Camp Cody, New Mexico, but, in sometime around May 1918, was re-stationed at Fort Dodge. ; Post World War I For about 90 days, beginning sometime after Christmas 1818, Baisden toured with "Uncle Sammy's Minstrels," a group of musicians and entertainers composed of musicians who had returned from World War I, who, before the war had been headliners in vaudeville and Minstrel shows. The touring company included the 163rd Depot Brigade Band from Camp Dodge, Iowa, for which, Baisden had been a musician. He also had been a piano player at the Magic Theater at Fort Dodge, Iowa, from 1917 to 1919. ; California On May 14, 1924, Charles Lick opened a newly constructed 22,000 square foot ballroom on a beachfront ocean pier in the Venice neighborhood of Westside Los Angeles. The ballroom featured an oval-shaped dance floor with enhanced acoustics. It was officially named the Bon Ton Ballroom, but was more widely known as the Venice Ballroom, and as of 1942, has been known as the Aragon Ballroom. The hall was large enough to be split into two separate ballrooms with different orchestras. From its inaugural day until 1924, Major Baisden, as he was then billed, led his twelve piece orchestra. The Venice Ballroom engagement included a national broadcast by KFI radio in Los Angeles. In 1924, while engaged at the Venice Ballroom, Baisden became mentally ill. Ben Pollack, who had recently played 11 months in Baisden's orchestra, took over as leader from October 1924 to Fall 1925. ; Illness, hospitalization in Augusta, and death On December 4, 1926, Baisden died. The cause of death was "general paralysis of the insane." Baisden was buried at West View Cemetery in Augusta.
