Paul Dresser

The brother of the novelist Theodore Dreiser, Paul Dresser (1858-1906) changed his surname when he entered the music business. Born to a large family in Indiana, Dresser defied his father’s wishes for him to become a priest, instead running away from home to play music with various traveling bands. As his songwriting efforts became increasingly popular, he stopped traveling to found his own music business in New York, becoming wealthy and successful until his sentimental ballads fell out of fashion.