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John Howard Payne is thought to have been born in New York City on June 9, 1791. He was the sixth of nine children. His father, William Payne of Massachusetts, was a successful elocutionist who taught at Clinton Academy in East Hampton. He trained his son in public speaking. Soon, young John Payne's promise bloomed, and the boy began to long for to the stage. He made his acting debut in 1809, and his good looks and refined talent brought hails from the newpapers. He then went to England, the first American actor to perform on the British stage. Gradually he turned more to writing, and in 1822, he penned the famous "Home, sweet home." The next year, it was first sung in Covent Gardens, a number from the opera "Clari, the Maid of Milan." In his later years, Payne went as American Consul to Tunis, and he died there in Africa in 1852.
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