Clay Boland was born in Olyphant, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1903, and died in New York, New York, July 23, 1963. He was a self-taught pianist who worked his way through college with music, and wrote his first hit, “Dreary Weather,”while enrolled in dental school at the University of Pennsylvania. However, he decided to establish a dental practice in Philadelphia, rather than risk the insecurity of a song-writing career – a decision reinforced by the start of the Great Depression. As a result, he continued with songwriting as an avocation rather than as a profession and yet still managed to write over 500 songs of which about 125 were published. During the 1930’s and 1940’s, he wrote the music for the annual University of Pennsylvania Mask and Wig shows, and many of his songs from these productions were recorded by Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and other popular Big Band leaders, featured on "The Hit Parade," and some ("The Gypsy in My Soul," "Too Good to be True," and "I Live the Life I Love") have since become standards.

Clay Boland Jr. was born in Philadelphia and attended the University of Pennsylvania. After graduation in 1953, he spent 15 years in New York City making a living as a songwriter, arranger, and pianist. He wrote words and music for summer stock musicals, for several children’s productions, as well as for original musicals about Robert Burns and Huckleberry Finn. He later completed graduate studies and began a career as a teacher, eventually joining the faculty at Colorado Mountain College. Over the years, he presented many solo and ensemble jazz and classical concerts throughout the Roaring Fork Valley, including performances as soloist with orchestra of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. Grieg's A minor Concerto, and Mozart's G major Concerto. Since his retirement in 1995, he has recorded 10 piano-solo CD’s.