His growing career was much buoyed by
James J. Walker, then a state senator of
New York, who asked Ball to write music for some lyrics he wrote. Ball did, and the song "Will You Love Me In December as You Do In May?" became a hit. Walker later became known as "Beau James," mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932; their collaboration was a fortunate event for Ball's career. Ball accompanied singers, sang in
vaudeville and wrote sentimental ballads, mostly with Irish themes. He collaborated with
Chauncey Olcott on many songs including "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", for which Olcott wrote the lyrics. Ball wrote other Irish favorites like "Mother Machree", and "A Little Bit of Heaven", as well as "Dear Little Boy of Mine", and "Let the Rest of the World Go By." "Mother Machree" was made popular by the famous Irish tenor,
John McCormack. He also worked with
J. Keirn Brennan on songs like "For Dixie and Uncle Sam" and "Good Bye, Good Luck, God Bless You". He became a charter member of
ASCAP in 1907, and wrote many American standards. He was also a fine pianist, and his playing is preserved on several
piano roll recordings he made for the
Vocalstyle company, based in his home state of
Ohio. He died just after walking off stage at the
Yost Theater in
Santa Ana, California while on tour with "Ernie Ball and His Gang", an act starring Ball and a male octet. Ball was interred at
Lake View Cemetery in
Cleveland,
Ohio. Ball was posthumously inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. A 1944 musical
Irish Eyes Are Smiling told the story of Ball's career and starred
Dick Haymes and
June Haver. == Family ==