born July 1, 1868 Bob Cole "Under The Bamboo Tree"

Robert Allen "Bob" Cole (July 1, 1868 – August 2, 1911[1]) was an American composer, actor, playwright, and stage producer and director.
Cole later partnered with brothers J. Rosamond Johnson, pianist and singer, and James Weldon Johnson, pianist, guitarist and lawyer, which resulted in over 200 songs.
Their vaudeville act featured classical piano pieces and their musicals featured sophisticated lyrics without the usual stereotypes such as "hot-mamas" and watermelons. Success enabled Cole and Rosamond to tour America and Europe with their act. The trio's most popular songs were "Louisiana Lize" and "Under the Bamboo Tree" (1901?). Their more successful musicals were The Shoo-Fly Regiment (1906) and The Red Moon (1908, written without Weldon).
Cole committed suicide by drowning himself in a creek[3] in the Catskills[4] in 1911 after a nervous breakdown and period of clinical depression that worsened in 1910.

Overview of achievements
Cole was the pre‑eminent leader in the world of black musical theater. As a composer, and even a performer, Cole influenced the development of black musical theater. His skills in acting, writing, and directing were brought to the public eye through his early works: first, he produced the black musical “A Trip to Coontown”, where he joined alliance with Billy Johnson, followed by the production of popular songs such as “ Under the Bamboo Tree,” where he worked with J. Rosamond Johnson.