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Larry Clinton
Early in his career, Clinton arranged for big bands, among which were lsham Jones, Glen Gray, and Tommy and Jimmy DorseyIn 1937, he formed a studio orchestra whose recordings became so popular, that he became a top attraction at many venues
Among his compositions that reached 'Your Hit Parade' show, were:
After 1941, his career wanedHe tried to make a comeback in the late 1940's, but the big band era was slowly coming to a close, and he never regained his former popularity.
Elia Cmiral
During this same period, Elia, working with the same director with whom he had worked on the film Apartment Zero, scored the show Somebody Is Waiting, which unfortunately didn't get U.SdistributionMichael Sandovall, of MGM/United Artists, gave Elia the opportunity to audition for John Frankenheimer's "Ronin." It was his big breakThe score was released on Varese Sarabande to rave reviews, and Elia signed to be represented by "The Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency", the largest film scoring agency in the world
Elia's wife, Sachiko, is of Japanese descent, and they have one son, Tamao, who studies karate (and in 1999, was working towards a black belt)
TV and Film Chronology:
Will D. Cobb
Dorcas Cochran
As a lyricist, Dorcas worked on such films as:
George M. Cohan
Overview
His parents were circuit traveling vaudevillians, Jeremiah and Helen Cohan, who had three children. The first died in infancy, Josephine was the second child preceding George by just two years. As was the life of vaudevillians in those days, the family 'lived out of a trunk', traveling from town to town, staying in shabby boarding houses. Often the children would sleep in the theater dressing room while the parents were on stage.
George had only a mild taste of public school education, as well as just a few lessons on the violin. The theater became his school, - and he was an apt pupil. He appeared in one of his parent's stage sketches as a 'prop' while still an infant. When he was nine years old, he became a member of the act, with his sister Josephine joining him just one year later. Now, the act was officially billed as The Four Cohans. George would do sentimental recitations; a bootblack specialty, and often perform a "buck and wing dance." By age 11, he was writing special material, and by age 13 he was writing songs and lyrics for the act
He was just 16 years old when in 1894, he sold his first song to Witmark Music Publishing.
'The Four Cohans' were now 'headliners' commanding a $1000.00 per week. George was writing the songs and the sketches; He became the starring actor. He was also selling original songs and sketches to other acts. And, he topped this all by managing the family's business affairs. He was now 20 years of age, and in complete control of the act. Isidore Witmark, in his autobiography, has pointed out that the young (and also the mature) George Cohan was an opinionated, brash, cocky youngster with a very high opinion (justified) of his own gifts
In 1899, George married his first wife, Ethel Levey, a popular singing comedienne. She became the 'fifth' Cohan in the act.
Cohan now began to turn his attention to the Broadway Musical Comedy stage
1906, 'Forty Five Minutes From Broadway', book, music, lyrics by Cohan
In 1907, Cohan divorced Ethel, and later in the same year, George married Agnes Nolan. Agnes was a sister of Sam Harris's wife.
1907, 'The Talk of the Town'
In 1911, the Cohan-Harris partnership had no fewer than 6 hit shows on
Broadway, and controlled 7 theaters
In 1917, Cohan composed his greatest hit song. America had just entered World War 1. Cohan was living in New Rochelle ("Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway"). On the train down to New York, he thought of a song. Cohan has said "I read those war headlines, and I got to thinking and humming to myself, and for a minute, I thought I was going to dance. I was all finished with both the chorus and the verse by the time I got to town, and I also had a title. "The title was "OverThere"Charles King introduced the song in the New Amsterdam Theater in 1917; the Nora Bayes,recording made it a national hit (photo from the cover of the 1912 sheet music "When It's Apple Blossom Time In Normandie"). Here's an audio file of another famous singer of theday, Billy Murray, singing
"Over There", here digitally re-engineered by Mr. Verne Buland. Some 25 years later, Congress authorized President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to present the Congressional Medal of Honor to Cohan for this patriotic war song.
In 1919, Actor's Equity called a strike in an effort to gain recognition as bargaining agent for it's membership. This strike closed the Broadway theaters. As a producer, Cohan was affected. He took it badly. Many of the people who aligned themselves with Equity, were folks whom Cohan had helped with their careers. He became quite bitter, lost his enthusiam, even broke up the successful Cohan-Harris partnership, and retired from show business. He even cancelled his memberships in the Friar's Club and The Lambs (Two Broadway organizations.). But show people can no longer stay away from the stage, than composers can stay away from music. After some rest and travel, Cohan returned to Broadway.
1923 'The Song and Dance Man'
1933, Cohan starred in Eugene O'Neils 'Ah, Wilderness', A hit!
In was in 1942, while Cohan was recovering from an abdominal operation, that he paid his last respects to Broadway. He asked his nurse to accompany him on a taxi ride from Union Square (14th Street) up to Times Square (42nd Street), stopping briefly at the Hollywood Theater, to watch some scenes from 'Yankee Doodle Dandy'Cohan was taking one last look at all the places he had worked and starred. He was never to see Broadway again.
George MCohan died on Nov. 5, 1942. President Roosevelt wired "A beloved figure is lost to our national life."
Chester Conn
Cy Coleman
Cy was a child prodigy. Between the ages of 6 and 9, he had already given recitals in New York's Town Hall, Carnegie Hall and also Steinway Hall. In 1948, Cy graduated from the High School of Music and Arts. He then decided to pursue a career in popular music rather than in the classics.
His first job was as cocktail lounge pianist in Billy Reed's Little Club, after which he worked for 2 years at Manhattan's plush Sherry-Netherland HotelHe also played the piano on Kate Smith's television showIn 1950, his trio, with vocalist Margaret Phelan, was seen in the film short 'Package of Rhythm'.
His early collaborator was Joseph Allen McCarthy, whose father - Joe McCarthy - wrote for the Ziegfeld shows 'Rio Rita' and 'Kid Boots', both of which starred Eddie CantorAmong the songs the team wrote at this time were:
From the Late 1950's to 1962, Cole and lyricist Carolyn Leigh had a somewhat stormy relationship.
Together they wrote such songs as:
In 1960, the Coleman-Leigh team wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical 'Wildcat'. (Basically a vehicle for actress Lucille Ball.)
In 1962, Coleman and Leigh produced the Broadway show 'Little Me', with a Neil Simon librettoIt starred a truly wonderful comedian/actor Sid Caesar
After the show 'Little Me', the team of Coleman and Leigh parted company, although they did get together briefly in 1964, to write a song titled "Pass Me By", which was later played over the credits for the Cary Grant movie 'Father Goose'. Also in 1964, Coleman wrote "Take a Little Walk", a hit for Buddy Greco.
Cy then teamed with the brilliant lyricist Dorothy Fields, who was at that time, his senior by 25 years. In 1966, the Coleman and Fields team had a Broadway smash with 'Sweet Charity'
In 1973, the Coleman and Fields Broadway show 'Two For the Seesaw'.
Dorothy Fields died in 1974 (a very great loss for American -and all- songwriting).
1977 Broadway show, 'I Love My Wife', book and lyric Michael Stewart
Coleman also contributed to the show 'On The Twentieth Century', with lyric and libretto by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.
1979 scored the show 'Home Again' with lyric by Barbara FriedThe show closed in Toronto, Canada in April 1979, before reaching Broadway.
1980 Scored Broadway show 'Barnum', with Michael Stewart Lyrics
1989 Scored Broadway show 'The City of Angels', David Zippel lyrics
1991 Scored Broadway show 'Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue'
Cy Coleman's film work includes:
He also won three Emmys, two Grammy Awards and he received an Academy Award nomination for the film version of "Sweet Charity."
Cy has worked with symphony orchestras in Fort Worth, TX, Milwaukee, WI, San Antonio, TX, and Indianapolis, IN. He has been an ASCAP Director, as well as Governor of the Academy of Televsion Arts and Sciences, and the Dramatist's Guild. On thursday Nov18, 2004, Coleman attended the opening night performance and party for Michael Frayn's "Democracy" on Broadway. That night, after he left the party, he went to New York Hospital where he collapsed and died. Coleman was survived by his wife, Shelby, and daughter, Lily Cye, and two sisters. The lights of Broadway theaters were dimmed Friday, before the 8 p.mcurtain, in honor of Coleman
Cy Coleman is a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Juan Carlos Cobián
In 1913, he replaced Roberto Firpo in the set of the "tano" Genaro Esp�ito. He also worked in the orchestras of Eduardo Arolas, and
Osvaldo Fresedo, before forming his own group.
In 1916, he disobeyed Military Conscription orders and became a deserter, even assuming a pseudonym to confuse the authorities. But in 1922, at age 26, he finally complied with the order.
In 1923, the passionate love of a lady took took him to the United States, -via Paris, France where he could still hear the successful echoes Argentina's own Tango. Also in 1923, he was present at the memorable Jack Dempsey - Luis Firpo prizefight, and later had supper with Dempsey. The U. S. was still suffering under the famous Prohibition "Dry" Law
banning all alcoholic drinks Cobián, not wishing to deprive himself of his daily dose of alcohol, began to make wine in his own home. He also often watched the dancing of his friend Rodolfo Valentino. In addition, between 1923 and 1926, he recorded several times in the United States cutting discs with Sambas, Foxtrots, Charlestons, as well as Tangos.
Cobián is well remembered today as a dominant member of the "Guardia Vieja" (Old Guard), who introduced the Piano both to Tango music, and to the "Orquestas Typica" (Tango Orchestras). His ideas were seminal to the Tangos
of the "old guard" and were the base on which the "New Guard" continued with the "Decarena School" of Tango, when Julio de Caro continued it with his famous Sextet.
By 1937, he had already honeymooned in Europe, returned to Buenos Aires briefly, gone on to Rio de Janeiro, and Cobián was now a "divorcista". He invited his friend Cadícamo to come and stay with him in New York. Some time later, they returned separately to the "tanguero" Buenos Aires of the 1940s.
But Cobián's fame and abilities were now slowly fading due in part to his unrelenting nocturnal, and wild, immoderate habits. His enormous hands, -once so useful in a street fight, -once so able to include a very large section of the piano keyboard between 'Pinky' and 'thumb' had been incapable to retaining the economic benefits of his artHe spent
the money before it arrived in his pocket.
As composer his instrumentals have been unsurpassed, and have become a permanent part of the vast Tango repertoireSome of the titles include:
On Dec. 9, 1953, only 57 years old, his lver, drowned in alcohol, called it quitsCobián died. The talented little boy from Bahiá Blanca had completed his work. As a Pianist, Leader, and composer, his talent and personality were decisive in the Tango's musical evolution.
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