Emmett, Daniel Decatur (1815-1904), an American minstrel performer and songwriter, wrote “Dixie” (1859). It became the war song of the South in the American Civil War (1861-1865). He wrote many other songs, including “Old Dan Tucker.” Emmett was born on Oct. 29, 1815, in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. In 1843, he became an original member of the Virginia Minstrels, considered the first true American minstrel company. In 1859, he joined Bryant’s Minstrels, for whom he wrote “Dixie.” He died on June 28, 1904. See also Dixie; Minstrel show.
