Robert Allen Deitcher (February 5, 1927 – October 1, 2000) was an American

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and an arranger and writer of music for

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

Biography

Allen was born to a

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 ...

family in

Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany a ...

and had 4 children: a son, Gordon, and 3 daughters, Pamela, Diana, and Katie. He was an accompanist 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 ...

Peter Lind Hayes Peter Lind Hayes (born Joseph Conrad Lind Jr.; June 25, 1915 – April 21, 1998) was an American vaudeville entertainer, songwriter, and film and television actor. Early life Hayes was born in San Francisco, the son of Joseph Conrad Lind Sr., a ...

, and

Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...

. Many of his compositions were collaborations with

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 ...

Al Stillman Al Stillman ''(né'' Albert Irving Silverman; 26 June 1901 Manhattan, New York – 17 February 1979 Manhattan, New York) was an American lyricist. Biography Stillman was born to Jewish parents Herman Silverman and Gertrude Rubin ''(maiden).'' He a ...

. Allen lived in

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

from 1963, much of his professional life. Three of his most famous songs were: "

(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays "(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays" is a popular song, commonly associated with the Christmas and holiday season. The lyrics detail the joys of being in your home community during the holidays and give examples of how some people wil ...

","

Everybody Loves a Lover "Everybody Loves a Lover" is a popular song which was a hit single for Doris Day in 1958. Its lyricist, Richard Adler, and its composer, Robert Allen, were both best known for collaborations with other partners. The music Allen composed, aside ...

" and " Chances Are".Music Makers Of New Rochelle
/ref> Robert Allen died in

Quogue, New York Quogue () is a village in the Town of Southampton in Suffolk County, on the South Fork of Long Island, in New York, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 967, down from 1,018 at the 2000 census. Geography Acco ...

colon cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel mo ...

at the age of 73.

Songs written by Robert Allen

Lyrics by Al Stillman

Perry Como hits

*" Noodlin' Rag" (1952) *" Sweetheart's Holiday" (1952) *" To Know You (Is to Love You)" (1952, redone in 1959) *" You Are Never Far Away (From Me)" (1952, redone in 1958) *" Home for the Holidays" (1954) *"

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 * Market ...

" (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) *"

Door of Dreams A door is a hinged or otherwise movable barrier that allows ingress (entry) into and egress (exit) from an enclosure. The created opening in the wall is a ''doorway'' or ''portal''. A door's essential and primary purpose is to provide security b ...

" (1955)

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)

Other hits

*" Al's Place" a hit for

Al Hirt Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java" and the accompanying album '' Honey in the Horn'' (1963), and for the them ...

*" If Dreams Came True" (a hit for

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

)

With Richard Adler

" (a hit for

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

in 1958 and

The Shirelles The Shirelles were an American girl group formed in Passaic, New Jersey in 1957. They consisted of schoolmates Shirley Owens (later Shirley Alston Reeves), Doris Coley (later Doris Kenner-Jackson), Addie "Micki" Harris (later Addie Harris McFadd ...

in 1963)

Others

War Eagle War Eagle is a battle cry, yell, or motto of Auburn University and supporters of Auburn University sports teams, especially the Auburn Tigers football team. War Eagle is a greeting or salutation among the Auburn Family (e.g., students, alumni, fa ...

" (1954 and 1955) the

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

fight song A fight song is a rousing short song associated with a sports team. The term is most common in the United States and Canada. In Australia, Mexico, and New Zealand these songs are called the team anthem, team song, or games song. First associated ...

*" Song for a Summer Night (a hit for Mitch Miller and His Orchestra and Chorus in 1956) *' Bob McGrath from Sesame Street' by Bob McGrath (1970)

References

Sources

External links

Obituary of Robert Allen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Robert American male composers American lyricists Deaths from cancer in New York (state) Deaths from colorectal cancer Jewish American songwriters 1927 births 2000 deaths Musicians from Troy, New York Musicians from New Rochelle, New York People from Quogue, New York Songwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American Jews American male songwriters