Newswise — Canton, N.Y. - Whether you favor a new take by "The Voice" country star Blake Shelton or the original by crooner Bing Crosby, the enduring popularity of the holiday song "I'll Be Home For Christmas" is good news for St. Lawrence University. The song's composer, J. Kimball "Kim" Gannon, graduated from St. Lawrence in 1924 and left the University a portion of his royalties from all of his compositions in his will.
So far this year, St. Lawrence has recieved $37,223 in royalties, which doesn't include the holiday music-buying season.
Gannon, who also wrote St. Lawrence's alma mater, passed away in 1974 and his will stipulated that St. Lawrence receive 30 percent of the royalties from all of his compositions after his wife's death. His widow, Norma Allen Gannon, St. Lawrence Class of 1925, passed away in 2000.
His most popular and well known song, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" was written in 1943 by Gannon, with Walter Kent and Buck Ram, and first recorded by Crosby. It has been recorded by hundreds of artists since then; new versions this year have been released by Shelton, Lady Antebellum, Celtic Woman and the Grease duo Olivia Newton John and John Travolta. The most popular version on iTunes is an a capella rendering by the country group Rascal Flatts.
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