“King Louie was living like a king.”
Anybody who could write a line like that is all right with me.
Allan Sherman was a great wit and song writer who has not gotten his critical due. I’m trying to correct the situation.
There has never been a biography of Sherman, but I am working on one. I’ve interviewed scores of Sherman’s friends, family members, and colleagues from his days in television and as a star. I’m still at it.
If you knew Allan Sherman in any capacity at any point in his life, I would like to interview you.
In the meantime, I’ve turned a good deal of my research into articles on Sherman. These include,
“Allan Sherman.” In Revolutions in Sound: Warner Bros. Records, the first fifty years, by Warren Zanes (2008).
“Liner notes.” My Son, The Box (Rhino Records, 2005). Rhino’s six-CD boxed set of Sherman’s musical parodies includes all of his Warner Bros. albums and his unreleased parody of My Fair Lady. I wrote the 7,000-word liner note booklet on Sherman life and work.
“My Fair Sadie: Allan Sherman and a Paradox of American Jewish Culture.” American Jewish History (March 2007). Peer reviewed.
“My Fair Sadie” is the first academic research article ever written on Allan Sherman. It argues that Sherman’s Jewish parodies of My Fair Lady and other Broadway musicals revealed what few recognized 50 years ago: that the musical was the creation of Jewish Americans who were eager to communicate their ideals while concealing their identities. Themes of interest to Jews, such as racial tolerance, upward mobility, and the great promise of American freedom infused South Pacific, My Fair Lady, and Finian’s Rainbow. Jews themselves remained invisible. Sherman parodied these musicals and others to call attention to the role Jews played in creating the Broadway musical.
“Allan Sherman: A Different Kind of Jewish Music.” Heritage (publication of the American Jewish Historical Society )(Fall 2004).
Comments
Mark,
Regarding your bio on Allan Sherman. I don’t know a lot but I can share a few memories. I grew up on Chantilly Road in LA, up the street from the Shermans. His daughter Nancy was in my 5th and 6th grade classes. He came to our fifth grade class (1963?) at Bellagio Road School and spoke to us for an hour about being a comedian, how to tell a joke and then reviewed some of ours (mine was a bomb but he was kind about it. His daughter, who was one of the class beauties, had a 6 th grade graduation party at their house and Alan came out in his underwear to say hi. I remember him as a warm and funny man. I happen to meet another class mate from that era who told me, as I recall, that Nancy is living in Utah somewhere.
I moved away from LA in ‘65 and lost touch but was shocked when I read I he died broke and unhappy. It is very sad.
I hope this is a little help to your work.
Best wishes,
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for getting in touch. I’d like to talk about your memories of that time. Sherman appearing in his underwear to say hi to sixth graders seems weird to me, and it fits in with other weird parts of his personality. You can email me privately at markcohen12@hotmail.com to provide contact information. Look forward to it, and thank you.
Mark
Allan Sherman had a son, Robert (not the composer), who seems to have gone to a high school in Hollywood –
http://unihi61.com/Hollywood.htm
- and who also seems to have online links.
Yes, and I am in touch with him. But thank you!