Caro Roma (September 10,[1] 1866 – September 22, 1937) was the stage name of Carrie Northey, an
American singer and composer known for
Tin Pan Alley era songs.
Northey began performing on stage at age three, and as a teenager toured in Canada as orchestra conductor for a
French opera company. She became
prima donna with the
Henry Savage Opera Company in Boston and sang opera in the United States and in
Europe, where she performed for royalty including
King Edward VII.[6] She made recordings as early as 1899.[5] During
World War I, she gave benefit concerts in New Jersey, and sang with the
United States Marine Band.[5] She toured in the American South in 1919.[7]
Northey wrote songs and poetry as a child and developed her composition skills during her years as a performer. She sang whole recitals of her own works as early as 1909,[3] and sang her own works in radio concerts.[8][9] She received a best song award from the American National Composers' and Authors' Association in 1924.[5] In 1932 at age 71, Northey performed nineteen of her songs at a concert in
Los Angeles.[10][11]
Roma married Jesse Douglas.[6] She died after a stroke in 1937, in Oakland, at the age of 72.[4][5]
Works
Besides her
Tin Pan Alley songs, Northey wrote poetry,
sea songs, and religious works, and composed at least one
song cycle. Selected works include:
^"Northly" has been cited as a variant version of her original surname, but
Federal Census records and her obituary and death record all show "Northey" as the spelling.