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Musical artist
Al Stillman (né Albert Irving Silverman ; 26 June 1901
Manhattan ,
New York
[1] – 17 February 1979
Manhattan ,
New York )
[2] was an American
lyricist .
Biography
Al Stillman was born as Albert Irving Silverman to
Jewish parents
[3] Herman Silverman and Gertrude Rubin (maiden). He adopted the name "Albert Stillman" as a professional pseudonym. He chose the name, reportedly, because it was the recognizable surname of a well-known New York
banking family [
citation needed ] . He was
Jewish .
[4] He attended
New York University . After graduation, he contributed to
Franklin P. Adams '
newspaper column, and in 1933 became a staff writer at
Radio City Music Hall , a position he held for almost 40 years.
Al Stillman collaborated with a number of composers:
Fred Ahlert ,
Robert Allen ,
Percy Faith ,
George Gershwin ,
Ernesto Lecuona , Paul McGrane,
Kay Swift , and
Arthur Schwartz . Many of his collaborations with Allen were major hits in the 1950s for
The Four Lads ; the Stillman/Allen team also wrote hit songs for
Perry Como and
Johnny Mathis .
Al Stillman was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982.
Songs for which Stillman wrote lyrics
Music by Robert Allen
Perry Como hits
Four Lads hits
Johnny Mathis hits
Music by Ernesto Lecuona
Others
"
Air Cadet Song (music by
Louis E.De Francesco , 1944 (published by Sam Fox Pub Co. NY NY)
"
Alley Cat " (music by
Bent Fabric )
"
And That Reminds Me " (or "
My Heart Reminds Me ") (written with
Camillo Bargoni ,
Dante Panzuti , and
Paul Siegel .) (A hit for singers
Vikki Carr ,
Kay Starr ,
Julie London ,
Della Reese ,
Dean Martin , among others.)
"
Bless 'em All " (with
Fred Godfrey ,
Frank Kerslake , and
James Lally ) (a
World War II song)
"
Can You Find It in Your Heart "
"
Don'cha Go 'Way Mad " (music by
Jimmy Mundy .) (A hit for
Frank Sinatra .)
"Every Step of the Way"
"
The Great Escape March "
"
Happy Anniversary "
"
I Believe " (1952) (written with
Ervin Drake ,
Irvin Graham , and
Jimmy Shirl ) (a hit for
Jane Froman ,
Frankie Laine , and recorded by many others, including
Perry Como ,
Barbra Streisand ,
Cissy Houston , and
Elvis Presley .)
"
If Dreams Come True "
"
I Love You and Don’t You Forget It " (1963) (music by
Henry Mancini ) (A hit for
Perry Como .)
"
Jukebox Saturday Night " (1942) (music by Paul McGrane) (A hit for the
Glenn Miller Orchestra
[5] and the
Pied Pipers vocal group.)
"
The Little Boy "
"
Little Jack Frost Get Lost " (written with Seger Ellis [1904-95])
"
Mama Yo Quiero " (written with Jararaca and Vincente Paiva.) (A hit for the
Xavier Cugat Orchestra and others.)
"
Meantime "
"
An Old Flame Never Dies "
"
One, Two, Three, Kick "
"
A Room with a View "
"
Song About Love "
"
Taboo "
"
Tell Me That You Love Me Tonight "
"
There's Nothing I Can Say "
"
Truly, Truly True "
"
When I Am With You ", (music by
Benjamin Weisman .) (A hit for
Johnny Mathis .)
"
You and I Know "
"
Turn Off the Moon " (sung by
Sue Lyon , music by Bob Harris.)
"Copacabana"
[6]
Stage shows with scores by Stillman
Howdy
Icetime of 1948
It Happens on Ice
Mr. Ice
Stars on Ice
Virginia
Movies to which Stillman contributed songs
Family
Stillman, on September 29, 1939, married Pauline Reinfmann (née Patia Reinfmann aka Kaufman; 1906–1990) in
Fort Lee, New Jersey .
[7] She was born in Russia and became a U.S. naturalized citizen March 22, 1943, in the
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York . Pauline's sister, Anna "Billie" Swan (née Anna Kaufman; 1905–1992), married, on August 7, 1925, in
Manhattan to
Einar Aaron Swan (1903–1940), an arranger and composer.
References
^
"Albert Irving Silverman," Birth Certificate, New York City Births, 1846–1909, (accessible via
FamilySearch , registration required, but is free)
^ "Albert Stillman" (obituary),
The New York Times , February 19, 1979, p. D5
^
Bloom, Nate (December 22, 2014).
"All those Holiday/Christmas Songs: So Many Jewish Songwriters!" .
Jewish World Review .
^
Bloom, Nate (2006-12-19).
"The Jews Who Wrote Christmas Songs" . InterfaithFamily. Archived from
the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2006-12-19 .
^ Twist & Shout: The Golden Age of American Rock 'N Roll Volume III 1960-1963 . Pierian Press. 2002. p. 272.
ISBN
978-0964658844 .
^
"Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra – Samba with Cugat (1948, Shellac)" .
Discogs . August 1948.
^
"New Jersey Marriage Index – Brides: Pauline Kaufman," (1939)
External links
International National Artists People Other