author
Will Rossiter
1867–1954
A lively figure in early popular entertainment, this songwriter and Chicago music publisher helped shape the sound of vaudeville and Tin Pan Alley. His name appears on songs, stage pieces, and novelty books that capture the humor and tastes of the early 1900s.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1867 and dying in 1954, Will Rossiter was a songwriter, lyricist, and music publisher whose career was closely tied to Chicago's popular-music world. Library and music reference sources consistently identify him as both a composer and publisher, and they also note that he sometimes used the name W. R. Williams.
Rossiter published large amounts of sheet music from Chicago and was associated with songs that circulated widely in the first half of the 20th century. Catalog and archival records connect his name with popular songs, stage sketches, and comic pieces, showing how broad his output was across music and light entertainment.
He is also remembered as the author of small curiosities outside music, including The Art of Kissing: Curiously, Historically, Humorously, Poetically Considered. That mix of show-business savvy, popular writing, and playful subject matter gives his work a distinct period charm for modern listeners and readers.