Al Stillman
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Al Stillman ''(né'' Albert Irving Silverman; 26 June 1901
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
– 17 February 1979
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
) was an American
lyricist A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment. Royalties A lyricist's income ...
.


Biography

Stillman was born to
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
parents 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 Banking families are families which have been involved in banking for multiple generations, in the modern era generally as owners or co-owners of banks, often named for their families. Banking families have been important in the history of ...
. He was
Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
ish. He attended
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
. After graduation, he contributed to Franklin P. Adams'
newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
column, and in 1933 became a staff writer at
Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...
, a position he held for almost 40 years. Stillman collaborated with a number of composers:
Fred Ahlert Frederick Emil Ahlert (September 19, 1892 – October 20, 1953) was an American composer and songwriter. Early life He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initiall ...
, Robert Allen,
Percy Faith Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976) was a Canadian-American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with popularizing the "easy listenin ...
,
George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
,
Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (; August 7, 1896 – November 29, 1963) was a Cuban composer and pianist, many of whose works have become standards of the Latin, jazz and classical repertoires. His over 600 compositions include songs and zarzuelas as ...
, Paul McGrane,
Kay Swift Katharine Faulkner "Kay" Swift (April 19, 1897 – January 28, 1993) was an American composer of popular and classical music, the first woman to score a hit musical completely. Written in 1930, the Broadway musical '' Fine and Dandy'' includes ...
, and
Arthur Schwartz Arthur Schwartz (November 25, 1900 – September 3, 1984) was an American composer and film producer, widely noted for his songwriting collaborations with Howard Dietz. Biography Early life Schwartz was born in Brooklyn, New York City, on Novem ...
. Many of his collaborations with Allen were major hits in the 1950s for
The Four Lads The Four Lads was a Canadian male singing quartet which, in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, earned many gold singles and albums. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Moments to Remember"; " Standing on the Corner"; "No, Not Much"; "Who Needs ...
; the Stillman/Allen team also wrote hit songs for
Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
and
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
. Stillman was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...
in 1982.


Songs for which Stillman wrote lyrics


Music by Robert Allen


Perry Como hits

*" Home for the Holidays" (1954) (Still played during the
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
holiday.) *"
My One and Only Heart My or MY may refer to: Arts and entertainment * My (radio station), a Malaysian radio station * Little My, a fictional character in the Moomins universe * ''My'' (album), by Edyta Górniak * ''My'' (EP), by Cho Mi-yeon Business * Mar ...
" (1953) *"
You Alone "You Alone (Solo Tu)" is a popular song. The music was written by Robert Allen, the lyrics by Al Stillman. The song was published in 1953. The best-known recordings were made by Perry Como, who recorded the song twice, in 1953 and in 1961. The ...
(Solo Tu)" (1953, redone in 1961)


Four Lads hits

*" Enchanted Island" (1958) *"
Moments to Remember "Moments to Remember" is a 1955 popular song about nostalgia recorded by Canadian quartet The Four Lads. The song was originally written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman for Perry Como but was turned down by Como's management. The Four Lads recor ...
" (1955) *"
No, Not Much "No, Not Much" is a popular song published in 1955. The music was written by Robert Allen, the lyrics by Al Stillman. The most popular version was recorded by The Four Lads. It was one of a large number of Stillman-Allen compositions that were re ...
" (1956) *"
There’s Only One of You "There’s Only One of You" is a popular song with music written by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman. The song was published in 1958. The song was one of a large number of Stillman-Allen compositions that were recorded by The Four Lads. This ...
" (1958) *"
Who Needs You? "Who Needs You?" is a popular song with music by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman. It was published in 1956. Background and chart performance The song was one of a large number of Stillman-Allen compositions recorded by The Four Lads. Th ...
" (1956)


Johnny Mathis hits

*" Chances Are" (1957) *"
It's Not For Me to Say "It's Not for Me to Say" is a 1957 popular song with music by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman. It was written for the 1957 movie ''Lizzie'' (starring Eleanor Parker), and was sung by Johnny Mathis in the film. Mathis' recording of the s ...
" (1957) *" Teacher, Teacher" (1958)


Music by Ernesto Lecuona

*" The Breeze and I" (1940) *" In Spain They Say ‘Si Si’" (co-written with Francia Luban) *" You're the One" as recorded by
Kathy Kirby Kathy Kirby (born Catherine Ethel O'Rourke; 20 October 1938 – 19 May 2011) was an English singer, reportedly the highest-paid female singer of her generation. She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's " Secret Love" and for re ...
in 1964


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 Bent Fabricius-Bjerre (7 December 1924 – 28 July 2020), better known internationally as Bent Fabric, was a Danish pianist and composer. Biography Bent Fabricius-Bjerre was born in Frederiksberg, Denmark. He started a jazz ensemble after W ...
) *" And That Reminds Me" (or " My Heart Reminds Me") (written with Camillo Bargoni, Dante Panzuti, and
Paul Siegel Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
.) (A hit for singers
Vikki Carr Florencia Vicenta de Casillas-Martínez Cardona (born July 19, 1940), known by her stage name Vikki Carr, is an American vocalist. She has a singing career that spans more than four decades. Born in El Paso, Texas, to Mexican parents, she has pe ...
,
Kay Starr Katherine Laverne Starks (July 21, 1922 – November 3, 2016), known professionally as Kay Starr, was an American singer who enjoyed considerable success in the late 1940s and 1950s. She was of Iroquois and Irish heritage. Starr performed multip ...
,
Julie London Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty albums ...
,
Della Reese Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a s ...
,
Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
, among others.) *"
Bless 'em All "Bless 'Em All", also known as "The Long and the Short and the Tall" and "Fuck 'Em All", is a war song. The words have been credited to Fred Godfrey in 1917 set to music composed by Robert Kewley, however, early versions of the song may have ex ...
" (with
Fred Godfrey Fred Godfrey (17 September 1880 – 22 February 1953) was the pen name of Llewellyn Williams, a World War I songwriter. He is best known for the songs " Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" (1916) and " Bless 'Em All" (1917), a 1940s hit reco ...
, Frank Kerslake, and James Lally) (a
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
song) *" Can You Find It in Your Heart" *"
Don'cha Go 'Way Mad "Don'cha Go 'Way Mad" is a popular song composed by Illinois Jacquet and Jimmy Mundy, with lyrics written by Al Stillman. It was originally recorded by Illinois Jacquet and His Orchestra as an instrumental on April 6, 1949 as "Black Velvet". Al Stil ...
" (music by
Jimmy Mundy James Mundy (June 28, 1907 – April 24, 1983) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, arranger, and composer, best known for his arrangements for Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Earl Hines. Mundy died of cancer in New York City at the age of 75 ...
.) (A hit for
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
.) *"Every Step of the Way" *" The Great Escape March" *" Happy Anniversary" *" I Believe" (1952) (written with
Ervin Drake Ervin Drake (born Ervin Maurice Druckman; April 3, 1919 – January 15, 2015) was an American songwriter whose works include such American Songbook standards as "I Believe (1953 song), I Believe" and "It Was a Very Good Year". He wrote in a variet ...
, Irvin Graham, and
Jimmy Shirl Jimmy may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Jimmy'' (2008 film), a 2008 Hindi thriller directed by Raj N. Sippy * ''Jimmy'' (1979 film), a 1979 Indian Malayalam film directed by Melattoor Ravi Varma * ''Jimmy'' (2013 f ...
) (a hit for
Jane Froman Ellen Jane Froman (November 10, 1907 – April 22, 1980) was an American actress and singer. During her thirty-year career, she performed on stage, radio and television despite chronic health problems due to injuries sustained in a 1943 plane cra ...
,
Frankie Laine Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American Singing, singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned nearly 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to hi ...
, and recorded by many others, including
Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
,
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
,
Cissy Houston Emily "Cissy" Houston ( ''née'' Drinkard; born September 30, 1933) is an American soul and gospel singer. After a successful career singing backup for such artists as Roy Hamilton, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, Houston embar ...
, and
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
.) *"
If Dreams Come True ''If Dreams Come True'' is an album by American singer and musician Ann Savoy, released in 2007. History Prior to recording her first solo album, Savoy performed professionally for many years with her husband accordionist Marc Savoy and fiddler ...
" *" I Love You and Don’t You Forget It" (1963) (music by
Henry Mancini Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Award ...
) (A hit for
Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signing ...
.) *"
Jukebox Saturday Night "Juke Box Saturday Night" is a song written by Al Stillman and Paul McGrane that was recorded by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra in 1942 on RCA Victor with vocals by Marion Hutton, Tex Beneke, and The Modernaires. The song was from the 1942 pro ...
" (1942) (music by Paul McGrane) (A hit for the
Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
Orchestra and the Pied Pipers vocal group.) *" The Little Boy" *" Little Jack Frost Get Lost" (written with Seger Ellis
904-95 9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding . Evolution of the Arabic digit In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
*" Mama Yo Quiero" (written with Jararaca and Vincente Paiva.) (A hit for the
Xavier Cugat Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City ...
Orchestra and others.) *" Meantime" *" An Old Flame Never Dies" *" One, Two, Three, Kick" *"
A Room with a View ''A Room with a View'' is a 1908 novel by English writer E. M. Forster, about a young woman in the restrained culture of Edwardian era England. Set in Italy and England, the story is both a romance and a humorous critique of English society a ...
" *" Song About Love" *"
Taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...
" *" 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 John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
.) *" You and I Know" *"
Turn Off the Moon ''Turn Off the Moon'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Lewis Seiler, written by Mildred Harrington, Marguerite Roberts, Paul Gerard Smith and Harlan Ware, and starring Charlie Ruggles, Eleanore Whitney, Johnny Downs, Kenny Baker, Phi ...
" (sung by Sue Lyon, music by Bob Harris.) *"Copacabana"


Stage shows with scores by Stillman

*''Howdy'' *''Icetime of 1948'' *''It Happens on Ice'' *''Mr. Ice'' *''Stars on Ice'' *''
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
''


Movies to which Stillman contributed songs

*''The Cardinal'' *''Captains of the Clouds'' (
1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...
) (Was uncredited, but wrote the song " Bless Em All") *''Carnival in Costa Rica'' (
1947 It was the first year of the Cold War, which would last until 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Events January * January–February – Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom: The worst snowfall in the country in ...
) (Wrote the songs "
Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
" and " Say Si Si") *''I'll Cry Tomorrow'' (
1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
) (Film used his song " Cui Cui," originally written for ''
The Long, Long Trailer ''The Long, Long Trailer'' is a 1954 American Anscocolor road comedy film based on a novel of the same name written by Clinton Twiss in 1951 about a couple who buy a new travel trailer home and spend a year traveling across the United States.''V ...
''.) *''Lizzie'' (
1957 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1957th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 957th year of the 2nd millennium, the 57th year of the 20th century, and the 8th y ...
) (Composed the song "
It's Not For Me To Say "It's Not for Me to Say" is a 1957 popular song with music by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman. It was written for the 1957 movie ''Lizzie'' (starring Eleanor Parker), and was sung by Johnny Mathis in the film. Mathis' recording of the s ...
") *''The Long, Long Trailer'' (
1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...
) (Composed the song " Cui Cui") *''
The FBI Story ''The FBI Story'' is a 1959 American drama film starring James Stewart, and produced and directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Richard L. Breen and John Twist is based on a book by Don Whitehead. Plot John Michael ("Chip") Hardesty ( Jam ...
'' (
1959 Events January * January 1 - Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 - Lunar probe Luna 1 was the first man-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reached the vicinity of E ...
) (Composed the song "What Do I Care?")


Family

Stillman, on September 29, 1939, married Pauline Reinfmann ''(née'' Patia Reinfmann aka Kaufman; 1906–1990) in
Fort Lee, New Jersey Fort Lee is a borough at the eastern border of Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, situated along the Hudson River atop the Palisades. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 40,191. As of the 2010 U.S. census, th ...
. 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 Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
to
Einar Aaron Swan Einar Aaron Swan (born Einar (Eino) William Swan; March 20, 1903 – August 8, 1940) was an American musician, arranger and composer. He is known for writing songs including "When Your Lover Has Gone" and " In the Middle of a Dream". Early life Sw ...
(1903–1940), an arranger and composer.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stillman, Al 1901 births 1979 deaths American lyricists Jewish American musicians Jewish American songwriters Musicians from New York City 20th-century American musicians Songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American Jews