The first hit version of "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" was Bessie Smith's 1923 recording, which stayed on the charts for four weeks peaking at No. 6. 

The composer, Clarence Williams was a versatile and influential figure in early jazz—a pianist, composer, promoter, vocalist, theatrical producer, and publisher. He played a key role in shaping the core repertoire of the genre, contributing many classics songs. 

Though Williams and Warfield co-wrote Baby Won’t You Please Come Home in 1919, Williams didn’t publish it until 1923. The song quickly became a favorite among musicians and established itself as a timeless standard in the category of blues ballads. Over the years, it has been recorded by many legendary jazz artists, including Bix Beiderbecke (1929), Louis Armstrong (1939), Sidney Bechet (1949), and Jack Teagarden (1954). A standout rendition came in 1939 when Jimmie Lunceford’s spirited Big Band version became one of the finest interpretations of this beloved song.