New York New York

New York New York has become a well-known song and theme for New York City. The song debuted in the 1977 Martin Scorsese film New York New York. Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb wrote the song for the film. “Composers Kander and Ebb stated on the A&E Biography episode about Liza Minnelli, that Read More

Unforgettable

Unforgettable was written by Irving Gordon and published in 1951. Gordon actually conceived of the title being “Uncomparable”, however the music publishing company requested the name be changed to “Unforgettable.” The most popular version of the song is by the legendary Nat King Cole.  His arrangement was written by Nelson Riddle.  He initially recorded the Read More

Profile of a Performer: Elvis Presley– The Comeback King

In remembrance of the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, we will finish his profile this week. We’ve already discussed the younger years and his return from the Army. After a decade in films, Elvis Presley was considered a joke by both fans and critics. Now, it was time for some damage control. Colonel Parker made Read More

Profile of a Performer: Elvis is Back!

    After serving two years in the Army, the time had come for Elvis to return to his public.  Would he be able to make the comeback he hoped for? Elvis returned to the United States and was honorably discharged in early March 1960. Less than three weeks later he was in the recording Read More

Profile of a Performer: The Young Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was an early and important figure in changing the landscape of music in his day.   The King of Rock n Roll grew up listening to spirituals and crooners such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra. However, he would usher in a new generation of music for the post World War II youth. Elvis Read More

Song Story: Barbara Ann by the Beach Boys

With summer fun here let’s take a look at a good beach song. Barbara Ann was written by Fred Fassert.  He used his sister’s name for the title of the song.  The song was originally written for The Regents, a band Fassert was part of at the time.  The Regents recorded the song in 1958, Read More

Profile of a Performer: Frank Sinatra—The Hollywood Years

Frank Sinatra was making a name for himself with the Tommy Dorsey band.  The teenage girls of the day, also known as bobby soxers, were his biggest fans. With World War II underway, Sinatra was classified as 4F for a perforated eardrum.   He did support the war effort through USO tours. In 1943, he signed Read More

Story Behind the Song: My Way

Frank Sinatra is best known for his hit, My Way.  To all who heard him sing the song, the song seemed to fit him.   Some even believed he may have written the song himself, but he didn’t. So it’s not surprising, that the song was written specifically for him by Paul Anka. Paul Anka was Read More

Profile of a Performer: The Bee Gees

The Bee Gees were a group that comprised of three brothers: Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb.  Robin and Maurice are fraternal twins. The group is recognized for their three part harmonies.  The Gibb brothers were born on the Isle of Man, England.  The family lived in various parts of England before relocating to Queensland, Australia Read More

Frank Sinatra—The Early Years

Frank Sinatra was the biggest star of his day.  He suffered numerous ups and downs throughout his career.   Yet, how did it all begin? Francis Albert Sinatra was born on December 12, 1915. From all accounts his birth was extremely traumatic and he almost did not survive.  He had a scar on his left ear, Read More