The Many Faces of Baby Face

From vaudeville to rock ’n’ roll

Flappers loved dancing to “Baby Face” in the 1920s. Image by Alana Jordan from Pixabay

In 1926, a sweet little vaudeville number named “Baby Face” was recorded for the first time. It was performed by Jan Garber and his orchestra, with a vocal refrain by Benny Davis. Songwriter Harry Akst wrote the music, and Davis wrote the lyrics.

“Baby Face” became a performance standard, recording by various artists in genres ranging…