Sammy Fain

American composer (1902–1989)

"Samuel Feinberg" redirects here. For the Russian composer and pianist, see Samuil Feinberg.

Sammy Fain

Background information
Birth name| Samuel E. Feinberg
Born| (1902-06-17)June 17, 1902
New York City, New York, United States
Died| December 6, 1989(1989-12-06) (aged 87)
Los Angeles, California, United States
Genres| Popular music
Occupation(s)| Composer
Vocalist
Musician
Instrument| Piano
Formerly of| Irving Kahal, Lew Brown, Artie Dunn

Musical artist

Sammy Fain (born Samuel E. Feinberg; June 17, 1902 – December 6, 1989) was an American composer of popular music.[1] In the 1920s and early 1930s, he contributed numerous songs that form part of The Great American Songbook, and to Broadway theatre. Fain was also a popular musician and vocalist.

## Biography

[edit]

Sammy Fain was born in New York City,[1] the son of a cantor. In 1923, Fain appeared in the short sound film, "Sammy Fain and Artie Dunn" directed by Lee De Forest filmed in DeForest's Phonofilm sound-on-film process. In 1925, Fain left the Fain-Dunn act to devote himself to music. Fain was a self-taught pianist who played by ear. He began working as a staff pianist and composer for music publisher Jack Mills.[1] In 1932, he appeared in the short film The Crooning Composer.[citation needed]

Later, Fain worked extensively in collaboration with Irving Kahal. Together they wrote classics such as "Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella" and "You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me," (co-written with Pierre Norman) and "I'll Be Seeing You." Another lyricist who collaborated with Fain was Lew Brown, with whom he wrote "That Old Feeling". His Broadway credits also include Everybody's Welcome, Right This Way, Hellzapoppin', Flahooley, Ankles Aweigh, Christine and Something More.[1]

## Film works

[edit]

Fain also composed music for more than 30 films in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song ten times, winning twice, with "Secret Love" from Calamity Jane[2] in 1954 and with "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing"[3] from the movie of the same title in 1956.[1] He co-wrote both songs with Paul Francis Webster, another long-time collaborator. Fain wrote the second theme to the TV series Wagon Train in 1958, which was called "(Roll Along) Wagon Train". He also contributed to the song scores for the Walt Disney animated films Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, and The Rescuers (the latter, soon to be his last effort, also earned him another Oscar nomination).[1][4][5][6]

In 1963, he collaborated with Harold Adamson,[1] in writing songs for the film The Incredible Mr. Limpet, which came out in 1964, and such songs as "I Wish I Were a Fish", "Be Careful How You Wish" and "Deep Rapture" enhanced his fame.[citation needed]

## Recognition

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In 1972, he was inducted into The Songwriters Hall of Fame.[1][7]

## Death

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Fain died from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California,[1] and is interred at Cedar Park Cemetery, in Emerson, New Jersey.

## Work on Broadway

[edit]

* Everybody's Welcome (1931) - musical \- composer
* Right This Way (1938) - musical \- featured songwriter for "I'll Be Seeing You"
* Hellzapoppin' (1938) - revue \- co-composer and co-lyricist
* George White's Scandals of 1939 (1939) - revue \- composer
* Boys and Girls Together (1940) - revue \- composer
* Sons o' Fun (1941) - revue \- co-composer and co-lyricist
* Toplitzky of Notre Dame (1946) - musical \- composer
* Alive and Kicking (1950) - revue \- co-composer
* Flahooley (1951) - musical \- composer
* Ankles Aweigh (1955) - musical \- composer
* Catch a Star (1955) - revue \- co-composer
* Ziegfeld Follies of 1957 (1957) - revue \- featured songwriter for "An Element of Doubt"
* Christine (1960) - musical \- composer
* Something More! (1964) - musical \- composer
* Rock 'N Roll! The First 5,000 Years (1982) - revue \- featured songwriter for "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing"
* Swing! (1999) - revue \- featured songwriter for "I'll Be Seeing You"
* Calamity Jane (2018) - musical \- composer (first full staging in the NYC area)[8]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 448\. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
2. ^ "The 26th Academy Awards | 1954". Oscars.org. 4 October 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
3. ^ "The 28th Academy Awards | 1956". Oscars.org. 19 February 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
4. ^ "Disney's "The Rescuers" on Records |". Cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
5. ^ "Happy Anniversary to Walt Disney's "Alice in Wonderland!" |". Cartoonresearch.com. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
6. ^ "The 50th Academy Awards | 1978". Oscars.org. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
7. ^ "Sammy Fain | Songwriters Hall of Fame". Songhall.org. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
8. ^ "Calamity Jane - The Lion Theatre at Theatre Row - Musicals Tonight!". TheaterScene.net. 18 March 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2021.

## External links

[edit]

* Sammy Fain discography at Discogs
* Sammy Fain at IMDb
* Sammy Fain at the Internet Broadway Database
* Sammy Fain recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings

* v
* t
* e

Academy Award for Best Original Song

1934–1940|

* "The Continental"
* Music: Con Conrad
* Lyrics: Herb Magidson (1934)
* "Lullaby of Broadway"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Al Dubin (1935)
* "The Way You Look Tonight"
* Music: Jerome Kern
* Lyrics: Dorothy Fields (1936)
* "Sweet Leilani"
* Music and lyrics: Harry Owens (1937)
* "Thanks for the Memory"
* Music: Ralph Rainger
* Lyrics: Leo Robin (1938)
* "Over the Rainbow"
* Music: Harold Arlen
* Lyrics: E. Y. Harburg (1939)
* "When You Wish Upon a Star"
* Music: Leigh Harline
* Lyrics: Ned Washington (1940)

1941–1950|

* "The Last Time I Saw Paris"
* Music: Jerome Kern
* Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II (1941)
* "White Christmas"
* Music and lyrics: Irving Berlin (1942)
* "You'll Never Know"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Mack Gordon (1943)
* "Swinging on a Star"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Johnny Burke (1944)
* "It Might as Well Be Spring"
* Music: Richard Rodgers
* Lyrics: Oscar Hammerstein II (1945)
* "On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe"
* Music: Harry Warren
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1946)
* "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
* Music: Allie Wrubel
* Lyrics: Ray Gilbert (1947)
* "Buttons and Bows"
* Music: Jay Livingston
* Lyrics: Ray Evans (1948)
* "Baby, It's Cold Outside"
* Music and lyrics: Frank Loesser (1949)
* "Mona Lisa"
* Music and lyrics: Ray Evans and Jay Livingston (1950)

1951–1960|

* "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening"
* Music: Hoagy Carmichael
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1951)
* "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')"
* Music: Dimitri Tiomkin
* Lyrics: Ned Washington (1952)
* "Secret Love"
* Music: Sammy Fain
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1953)
* "Three Coins in the Fountain"
* Music: Jule Styne
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1954)
* "Love Is a Many Splendored Thing"
* Music: Sammy Fain
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1955)
* "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)"
* Music and lyrics: Jay Livingston and Ray Evans (1956)
* "All the Way"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1957)
* "Gigi"
* Music: Frederick Loewe
* Lyrics: Alan Jay Lerner (1958)
* "High Hopes"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1959)
* "Never on Sunday"
* Music and lyrics: Manos Hatzidakis (1960)

1961–1970|

* "Moon River"
* Music: Henry Mancini
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1961)
* "Days of Wine and Roses"
* Music: Henry Mancini
* Lyrics: Johnny Mercer (1962)
* "Call Me Irresponsible"
* Music: Jimmy Van Heusen
* Lyrics: Sammy Cahn (1963)
* "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
* Music and lyrics: Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman (1964)
* "The Shadow of Your Smile"
* Music: Johnny Mandel
* Lyrics: Paul Francis Webster (1965)
* "Born Free"
* Music: John Barry
* Lyrics: Don Black (1966)
* "Talk to the Animals"
* Music and lyrics: Leslie Bricusse (1967)
* "The Windmills of Your Mind"
* Music: Michel Legrand
* Lyrics: Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1968)
* "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"
* Music: Burt Bacharach
* Lyrics: Hal David (1969)
* "For All We Know"
* Music: Fred Karlin
* Lyrics: Robb Royer and Jimmy Griffin (1970)

1971–1980|

* "Theme from Shaft"
* Music and lyrics: Isaac Hayes (1971)
* "The Morning After"
* Music and lyrics: Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (1972)
* "The Way We Were"
* Music: Marvin Hamlisch
* Lyrics: Alan and Marilyn Bergman (1973)
* "We May Never Love Like This Again"
* Music and lyrics: Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn (1974)
* "I'm Easy"
* Music and lyrics: Keith Carradine (1975)
* "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)"
* Music: Barbra Streisand
* Lyrics: Paul Williams (1976)
* "You Light Up My Life"
* Music and lyrics: Joseph Brooks (1977)
* "Last Dance"
* Music and lyrics: Paul Jabara (1978)
* "It Goes Like It Goes"
* Music: David Shire
* Lyrics: Norman Gimbel (1979)
* "Fame"
* Music: Michael Gore
* Lyrics: Dean Pitchford (1980)

1981–1990|

* "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"
* Music and lyrics: Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen (1981)
* "Up Where We Belong"
* Music: Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie
* Lyrics: Will Jennings (1982)
* "Flashdance... What a Feeling"
* Music: Giorgio Moroder
* Lyrics: Keith Forsey and Irene Cara (1983)
* "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
* Music and lyrics: Stevie Wonder (1984)
* "Say You, Say Me"
* Music and lyrics: Lionel Richie (1985)
* "Take My Breath Away"
* Music: Giorgio Moroder
* Lyrics: Tom Whitlock (1986)
* "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
* Music: Franke Previte, John DeNicola and Donald Markowitz
* Lyrics: Franke Previte (1987)
* "Let the River Run"
* Music and lyrics: Carly Simon (1988)
* "Under the Sea"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Howard Ashman (1989)
* "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)"
* Music and lyrics: Stephen Sondheim (1990)

1991–2000|

* "Beauty and the Beast"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Howard Ashman (1991)
* "A Whole New World"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1992)
* "Streets of Philadelphia"
* Music and lyrics: Bruce Springsteen (1993)
* "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
* Music: Elton John
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1994)
* "Colors of the Wind"
* Music: Alan Menken
* Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz (1995)
* "You Must Love Me"
* Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
* Lyrics: Tim Rice (1996)
* "My Heart Will Go On"
* Music: James Horner
* Lyrics: Will Jennings (1997)
* "When You Believe"
* Music and lyrics: Stephen Schwartz (1998)
* "You'll Be in My Heart"
* Music and lyrics: Phil Collins (1999)
* "Things Have Changed"
* Music and lyrics: Bob Dylan (2000)

2001–2010|

* "If I Didn't Have You"
* Music and lyrics: Randy Newman (2001)
* "Lose Yourself"
* Music: Eminem, Jeff Bass and Luis Resto
* Lyrics: Eminem (2002)
* "Into the West"
* Music and lyrics: Fran Walsh, Howard Shore and Annie Lennox (2003)
* "Al otro lado del río"
* Music and lyrics: Jorge Drexler (2004)
* "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp"
* Music and lyrics: Juicy J, Frayser Boy and DJ Paul (2005)
* "I Need to Wake Up"
* Music and lyrics: Melissa Etheridge (2006)
* "Falling Slowly"
* Music and lyrics: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová (2007)
* "Jai Ho"
* Music: A. R. Rahman
* Lyrics: Gulzar (2008)
* "The Weary Kind"
* Music and lyrics: Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett (2009)
* "We Belong Together"
* Music and lyrics: Randy Newman (2010)

2011–2020|

* "Man or Muppet"
* Music and lyrics: Bret McKenzie (2011)
* "Skyfall"
* Music and lyrics: Adele Adkins and Paul Epworth (2012)
* "Let It Go"
* Music and lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2013)
* "Glory"
* Music and lyrics: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn (2014)
* "Writing's on the Wall"
* Music and lyrics: James Napier and Sam Smith (2015)
* "City of Stars"
* Music: Justin Hurwitz
* Lyrics: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (2016)
* "Remember Me"
* Music and lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (2017)
* "Shallow"
* Music and lyrics: Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt (2018)
* "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again"
* Music: Elton John
* Lyrics: Bernie Taupin (2019)
* "Fight for You"
* Music: D'Mile and H.E.R.
* Lyrics: H.E.R. and Tiara Thomas (2020)

2021–present|

* "No Time to Die"
* Music and lyrics: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2021)
* "Naatu Naatu"
* Music: M. M. Keeravani
* Lyrics: Chandrabose (2022)
* "What Was I Made For?"
* Music and lyrics: Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell (2023)

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