Claude Demetrius
Date of Birth : Aug 3, 1916
Date of Death : May 1, 1988
Claude Demetrius, also written Claude DeMetruis, was an African American songwriter. He was known for his Rockabilly songs, some of which were made famous by singers such as Elvis Presley.
Demetrius was born in Bath, Maine. By his early twenties he was in New York City writing music for and/or with the likes of Louis Armstrong. Demetrius wrote the 1945 musical comedy short film Open the Door, Richard. During the 1940s, he was very closely associated with Louis Jordan. He wrote songs with Jordan that included material for the 1946 Black musical film Beware in which Jordan had the starring role. Some of Demetrius' best-known compositions from that era were co-written with Jordan's wife, Fleecie Moore, including the song "Ain't That Just Like a Woman."
For two decades, Claude Demetrius made a reasonably good living but in 1956 his income would change dramatically after he began writing for Gladys Music, Inc.. Newly formed by Jean and Julian Aberbach, the company owned the exclusive publishing rights to the music of Elvis Presley. Working for Gladys Music, Demetrius co-wrote a song called "I Was The One" that was the B-side to Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel."