Sammy Cahn
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Sammy Cahn (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993) was an award-winning American lyricist, songwriter and musician, best known for his romantic lyrics to tin pan alley and Broadway songs, as recorded by Frank Sinatra, Doris Day and many others. He played the piano and violin.
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[edit] Biography
Cahn was born Samuel Cohen in the Lower East Side of New York City, the only son (he had four sisters) of Jewish immigrants from Poland.[1] He was married twice: first to vocalist and former Goldwyn girl Gloria Delson in 1945, with whom he had two children, and later to Virginia Basile in 1970. He changed his last name from Cohen to Kahn to avoid confusion with comic and MGM actor Sammy Cohen and again from Kahn to Cahn to avoid confusion with lyricist Gus Kahn.
He described the beginnings of his career thusly:
Lyric writing has always been a thrilling adventure for me, and something I've done with the kind of ease that only comes with joy! From the beginning the fates have conspired to help my career. Lou Levy, the eminent music publisher, lived around the corner and we met the day I was leaving my first music publisher's office. This led to a partnership that has lasted many years. Lou and I wrote "Rhythm is our business", material for Jimmy Lunceford's orchestra, which became my first ASCAP copyright. I'd been churning out "special lyrics" for special occasions for years and this helped facilitate my tremendous speed with lyric writing. Many might have written these lyrics better—but none faster! Glen Gray and Tommy Dorsey became regular customers and through Tommy came the enduring and perhaps most satisfying relationship of my lyric writing career – Frank Sinatra.[2]
Cahn became a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. He later took over the presidency of that organization from his friend Johnny Mercer when Mercer became ill.[3]
He died in 1993 at the age of 79 in Los Angeles, California. He was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
[edit] Music
He wrote lyrics for many songs, including:
- Academy Award winners:
- 1954 – "Three Coins in the Fountain" (music by Jule Styne) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film Three Coins in the Fountain.
- 1957 – "All the Way" (music by James Van Heusen) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film The Joker is Wild.
- 1959 – "High Hopes" (music by James Van Heusen) introduced by Frank Sinatra and Eddie Hodges in the film A Hole in the Head.
- 1963 – "Call Me Irresponsible" (music by James Van Heusen) introduced by Jackie Gleason in the film Papa's Delicate Condition.
- Academy Award nominees:
- 1942 – "I've Heard That Song Before" (music by Jule Styne) from the film Youth on Parade.
- 1944 – "I'll Walk Alone" (music by Jule Styne) from the film Follow the Boys.
- 1945 – "Anywhere" (music by Jule Styne) from the film Tonight and Every Night.
- 1945 – "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (music by Jule Styne) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film Anchors Aweigh.
- 1948 – "It's Magic" (music by Jule Styne) introduced by Doris Day in the film Romance on the High Seas.
- 1949 – "It's a Great Feeling" (music by Jule Styne) introduced by Doris Day in the film It's a Great Feeling.
- 1950 – "Be My Love" (music by Nicholas Brodszky) introduced by Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson in the film The Toast of New Orleans.
- 1951 – "Wonder Why" (music by Nicholas Brodszky) introduced by Jane Powell and Vic Damone in the film Rich, Young and Pretty.
- 1952 – "Because You're Mine" (music by Nicholas Brodszky) introduced by Mario Lanza in the film Because You're Mine.
- 1955 – "I'll Never Stop Loving You" (music by Nicholas Brodszky) introduced by Doris Day in the film Love Me or Leave Me.
- 1955 – "The Tender Trap" (music by James Van Heusen) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film The Tender Trap.
- Other well-known songs:
- "Bei Mir Bist du Schoen" (English version, with Saul Chaplin)
- "Come Dance With Me" (with Jimmy Van Heusen)
- "Come Fly with Me" (with James Van Heusen)
- "Day By Day" (with Paul Weston and Axel Stordahl)
- "Five Minutes More" (with Jule Styne)
- "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" (with Jule Styne)
- "I'll Never Stop Loving You" (with Nicholas Brodzsky)
- "I Should Care" (with Paul Weston and Axel Stordahl)
- "I Still Get Jealous" (with Jule Styne)
- "It's Been a Long, Long Time" (with Jule Styne)
- "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (with Jule Styne)
- "Love and Marriage" (with James Van Heusen)
- "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me" (with Jule Styne)
- "Please Be Kind" (with Saul Chaplin)
- "Rhythm Is Our Business" (with Saul Chaplin)
- "Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week" (with Jule Styne)
- "Teach Me Tonight" (with Gene DePaul)
- "The Things We Did Last Summer" (with Jule Styne)
- "The Secret of Christmas" (with James Van Heusen)
- "Time After Time" (with Jule Styne)
- "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" (with Saul Chaplin)
Over the course of his career, he was nominated for 23 Academy Awards, five Golden Globes, and an Emmy.
- 1947 – High Button Shoes music by Jule Styne
- 1965 – Skyscraper music by James Van Heusen
- 1966 – Walking Happy music by James Van Heusen
- 1970 – Look To The Lilies music by Jule Styne
[edit] Married... with Children
Cahn wrote the lyrics to "Love and Marriage," which was used as the theme song from the FOX TV show Married... with Children. The song originally debuted in a 1955 television production of Our Town, and won an Emmy Award in 1956.
[edit] Oz
Cahn contributed lyrics for two otherwise unrelated films about the Land of Oz, Journey Back to Oz (1971) and The Wizard of Oz (1982). The former were composed with James Van Heusen, the latter with Allen Byrns, Joe Hisaishi, and Yuichiro Oda.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Bloom, Nate (2006-12-19). The Jews Who Wrote Christmas Songs. InterfaithFamily. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ (1986) Sammy Cahn Songbook. Warner Bros. Publications Inc.. ASIN B000EA1TTW.
- ^ Songwriters Hall of Fame.
