James Kendis
Musician · 1883–1946 · St. Paul, Minnesota
Best known for
Songwriter
James Kendis was a St. Paul-born Tin Pan Alley composer, lyricist, and publisher who co-wrote “If I Had My Way” (1914) and was one third of the trio behind the joint pen name Jaan Kenbrovin, under which he and James Brockman and Nat Vincent placed the lyrics to the 1919 standard “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles.” He ran the New York publishing houses Kendis & Paley, Kendis-Brockman, and the Kendis Music Corporation.
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- Born March 9, 1883, in St. Paul, Minnesota; educated in the Philadelphia public schools.
- Joined ASCAP as a charter member in 1914.
- Co-wrote “If I Had My Way” with Lou Klein; the Peerless Quartet introduced it in 1914.
- Co-wrote the 1919 standard “I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles” with James Brockman and Nat Vincent under the joint pen name Jaan Kenbrovin, set to John W. Kellette’s music.
- Wrote “Angel Eyes” and many other popular and theatrical songs.
- Founded the Tin Pan Alley publishing partnerships Kendis & Paley, Kendis-Brockman Music Company, and the Kendis Music Corporation.
- Worked frequently with collaborators including James Brockman, Howard Johnson, and Charles Bayha.
- Died in 1946 in Jamaica, New York.
