Sammy Cahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sammy Cahn
|
|
|---|---|
Cahn circa 1958
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Samuel Cohen |
| Born | June 18, 1913 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 1993 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Lyricist, musician |
| Instruments | Piano, Violin |
Samuel Cohen (born June 18, 1913 – died January 15, 1993), known as Sammy Cahn, was an American songwriter and musician. He was famous for writing romantic lyrics for movies and Broadway songs. He also wrote many popular songs that were first released by record companies in the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Sammy Cahn and his songwriting partners created many hit songs for singers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Doris Day. He played the piano and violin. He won an Oscar four times for his songs, including the well-known "Three Coins in the Fountain". One of his most famous songs is "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!", which he wrote with Jule Styne in 1945.
Contents
Sammy Cahn: A Life in Songwriting
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Sammy Cahn was born Samuel Cohen in New York City on June 18, 1913. He was the only son of Abraham and Elka Reiss Cohen, who were Jewish immigrants. Sammy had four sisters: Sadye, Pearl, Florence, and Evelyn. All his sisters learned to play the piano. However, his mother thought the piano was for girls, so Sammy took violin lessons instead.
After just three violin lessons and his bar mitzvah, Sammy joined a small dixieland band called Pals of Harmony. They played music in the Catskill Mountains during the summer and at private parties. Sammy's parents had hoped he would become a professional man, but his dream was to be a musician.
Sammy's First Song and Inspiration
Sammy Cahn had many different jobs when he was young. He played violin in a theater orchestra, worked at a meat-packing plant, and was a movie usher. When he was 16, he saw a performer named Jack Osterman sing a song he had written. This inspired Sammy. On his way home, he wrote his first song lyric, called "Like Niagara Falls, I'm Falling for You – Baby."
Sammy later said that his love for vaudeville (a type of stage entertainment) influenced his songwriting. He felt that many of his songs had a "vaudeville finish," which encouraged the audience to applaud.
Working with Other Songwriters
Sammy Cahn often worked with other talented musicians.
Partnership with Saul Chaplin
Much of Sammy's early work was with Saul Chaplin. They met when Sammy invited Chaplin to audition for him. Sammy had learned a few chords on the piano and had already tried to write a song called "Shake Your Head from Side to Side."
Billed as "Cahn and Chaplin," they wrote clever songs for Warner Brothers' musical short films. They didn't earn much money at first, but they worked with future stars like Milton Berle, Danny Kaye, Phil Silvers, and Bob Hope.
Collaborations with Famous Orchestras
Sammy's childhood friend, Lou Levy, became a dancer with the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra. Sammy wrote a song that became the orchestra's signature tune. He also wrote for Glen Gray's Casa Loma Orchestra and Andy Kirk (musician)'s Clouds of Joy, for whom he wrote "Until the Real Thing Comes Along".
Writing for Frank Sinatra
Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen wrote many songs for Frank Sinatra. They were almost considered Sinatra's personal songwriters. One of their famous songs, "Love and Marriage," was first used in a 1955 TV show called Our Town. It later became the theme song for the TV show Married... with Children. This song won an Emmy Award in 1956.
Sammy also wrote lyrics for two movies about the Land of Oz: Journey Back to Oz (1971) and The Wizard of Oz (1982).
Later Career and Recognition
Sammy Cahn became a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. He later became the president of the organization after his friend Johnny Mercer became ill. Even though he wasn't a great singer, Sammy performed concerts of his own music with pianist Harper MacKay.
Personal Life and Legacy
Sammy Cahn passed away on January 15, 1993, at age 79 in Los Angeles, California, due to heart failure. He was buried in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
He changed his last name from Cohen to Kahn to avoid confusion with another performer named Sammy Cohen. He then changed it again from Kahn to Cahn to avoid confusion with lyricist Gus Kahn.
Sammy Cahn was married twice. He had two children with his first wife, Gloria Delson. His son, Steve Khan, became a jazz guitarist and changed the spelling of his last name to "Khan" to have his own identity separate from his famous father.
Awards and Honors
Sammy Cahn was nominated for many awards during his career. He received 31 Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe Awards, and an Emmy Award. He was also nominated for a Grammy Award for the film Robin and the 7 Hoods. He won the Christopher Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Theatre World Award.
In 1988, the Sammy Film Music Awards were created in his honor. These awards celebrate movie songs and scores. Sammy was chosen because he had more Academy Award nominations than any other songwriter and won four Oscars for his lyrics.
In 1993, the "High Hopes Fund" was started at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. This fund was inspired by Sammy's song "High Hopes". Its goal is to give hope and encouragement to children with diabetes and support research into the disease.
Famous Songs by Sammy Cahn
Sammy Cahn wrote lyrics for many popular songs.
Academy Award Winning Songs
- 1954 – "Three Coins in the Fountain" (music by Jule Styne) from the film Three Coins in the Fountain.
- 1957 – "All the Way" (music by Jimmy Van Heusen) from the film The Joker Is Wild.
- 1959 – "High Hopes" (music by Van Heusen) from the film A Hole in the Head.
- 1963 – "Call Me Irresponsible" (music by Van Heusen) from the film Papa's Delicate Condition.
Other Well-Known Songs
- "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" (with Jule Styne)
- "Love and Marriage" (with Jimmy Van Heusen)
- "Come Fly with Me" (with Van Heusen)
- "The Christmas Waltz" (with Styne)
- "Time After Time" (with Styne)
- "Day by Day" (with Paul Weston and Axel Stordahl)
- "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (with Styne)
- "It's Magic" (with Styne)
- "My Kind of Town" (with Van Heusen)
- "Please Be Kind" (with Saul Chaplin)
- "Teach Me Tonight" (with Gene de Paul)
- "The Secret of Christmas" (with Van Heusen)
- "You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!" from Peter Pan (with Sammy Fain)
Broadway Musicals
Sammy Cahn wrote lyrics for several Broadway musicals:
- 1944 – Glad to See You (music by Jule Styne)
- 1947 – High Button Shoes (music by Styne)
- 1965 – Skyscraper (music by Jimmy Van Heusen)
- 1966 – Walking Happy (music by Van Heusen)
- 1970 – Look to the Lilies (music by Jule Styne)
See also
In Spanish: Sammy Cahn para niños
