Al Piantadosi

Al Piantadosi, born John Alberto Joseph Piantadosi in New York City, was an American composer of popular music. He started out as a pianist in saloons and vaudeville shows and then became a successful songwriter, particularly known for “Italian and Jewish character songs.” His 1915 anti-war song, “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier,” written with Alfred Bryan, became an anthem for pacifists and isolationists who wanted the U.S. to stay out of World War I and brought him notoriety.