Arthur Siegel was an American songwriter.

Born on December 31, 1923 in Lakewood Township, New Jersey

Lakewood Township, New Jersey

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 60,352 people, 19,876 households, and 13,356 families residing in the township. The population density was 2,431.8 people per square mile . There were 21,214 housing units at an average density of 854.8 per square mile...

, he grew up in Asbury Park, New Jersey

Asbury Park, New Jersey

Asbury Park is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, located on the Jersey Shore and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 16,116. The city is known for its rich musical history, including its association with...

. Siegel studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts

American Academy of Dramatic Arts

The American Academy of Dramatic Arts is a fully accredited two-year conservatory with facilities located in Manhattan, New York City – at 120 Madison Avenue, in a landmark building designed by noted architect Stanford White as the original Colony Club – and in Hollywood, California...

 and studied music at the Juilliard School

Juilliard School

The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...

.

Hits he composed included "Monotonous

Monotonous (song)

'Monotonous' is a popular song written by June Carroll and Arthur Siegel for Leonard Sillman's Broadway revue New Faces of 1952. The song was written based on the experiences of its singer Eartha Kitt...

" (written in collaboration with June Carroll

June Carroll

June Carroll was an American lyricist, singer and actress.Born June Sillman in Detroit, Michigan, Carroll appeared in the Broadway musical New Faces of 1952, singing the Murray Grand standard, Guess Who I Saw Today, as well as two songs that she also wrote: Penny Candy and Love is a Simple...

, famously performed by Eartha Kitt

Eartha Kitt

Eartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...

), "Penny Candy", "Love is a Simple Thing" and "I Want You to Be the First One to Know". His work was featured prominently in the Leonard Sillman

Leonard Sillman

Leonard Sillman was an American Broadway producer. Born in Detroit, Michigan on May 9, 1908, he was the brother of June Carroll, the brother-in-law of Sidney Carroll and the uncle of Steve Reich and Jonathan Carroll...

-produced revues New Faces of 1952, New Faces of 1956 and New Faces of 1962. Siegel released several recordings of him performing his own music, including 1992's Arthur Siegel Sings Arthur Siegel and 1995's Live at the Ballroom.

Siegel died at the age of 70 on September 13, 1994, at his home in Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

 due to heart failure.

External links

• The Arthur Siegel Website
• The Arthur Siegel papers, 1938-1994 Music Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• [ Arthur Siegel on Allmusic]
• Arthur Siegel on the Internet Broadway Database
• Article in the New York Times: "Arthur Siegel's Surprising Songs"