Fred E. Ahlert
Encyclopedia
Frederick Emil Ahlert was an American
composer
and songwriter
. He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initially for Irving Aaronson and his Commanders
and then for composer and band-leader Fred Waring
. Ahlert had his first hit song in 1920, and eventually started his own publishing company in 1928.
His songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Louis Armstrong
, Nat King Cole
, Ella Fitzgerald
, Frank Sinatra
, and Fats Waller
. Ahlert most frequently collaborated with lyricist Roy Turk
, but he also wrote with others including Joe Young and Edgar Leslie
.
Ahlert was born and died in New York City
, where he lived all his life.
Among his compositions (with Roy Turk unless otherwise noted):
Ahlert was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
in 1970.
; d. 1955 New York City
), had three sons:
Fred Ahlert had a brief prior marriage to Minnie Campbell. They were married October 17, 1912, in Manhattan
, New York.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initially for Irving Aaronson and his Commanders
Irving Aaronson and his Commanders
Irving Aaronson and His Commanders was an American big band active in New York in the Mid-twenties led by Irving Aaronson.-Sidemen:Mickey Bloom, Red Stanley, Harold Saliers, Herman Hyde, Phil Saxe, Sal Cibelli, Ralph Napoli, Stanley Johnson, Frank Cornwell, Mack Walker, Artie Quenzer, Charlie...
and then for composer and band-leader Fred Waring
Fred Waring
Fredrick Malcolm Waring was a popular musician, bandleader and radio-television personality, sometimes referred to as "America's Singing Master" and "The Man Who Taught America How to Sing." He was also a promoter, financial backer and namesake of the Waring Blendor, the first modern electric...
. Ahlert had his first hit song in 1920, and eventually started his own publishing company in 1928.
His songs have been recorded by numerous artists, including Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
, Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, and Fats Waller
Fats Waller
Fats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
. Ahlert most frequently collaborated with lyricist Roy Turk
Roy Turk
Roy Kenneth Turk was an American songwriter. A lyricist, he frequently collaborated with composer Fred E. Ahlert – their popular 1928 song "Mean to Me" has become a jazz standard. He worked with many other composers, including for film lyrics...
, but he also wrote with others including Joe Young and Edgar Leslie
Edgar Leslie
Edgar Leslie was an American songwriter. His first song Lonesome in 1909 was an immediate success, recorded by the Haydn Quartet and again by Byron G. Harlan. Other notable artists he worked with are:...
.
Ahlert was born and died in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he lived all his life.
Among his compositions (with Roy Turk unless otherwise noted):
- I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)"I Don't Know Why " is a popular song.The music was written by Fred E. Ahlert, the lyrics by Roy Turk. The song was published in 1931. It had three periods of great popularity: in 1931, right after its publication; in 1946; and in 1961...
- I'll Get By (as Long as I Have You)I'll Get By (as Long as I Have You)"I'll Get By " is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk. It was published in 1928 and originally sung by Aileen Stanley. The song was revived to even greater success in 1944, when the 1940 recording by Harry James was re-released...
- I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a LetterI'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" is a 1935 popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Joe Young. It has been recorded many times, and has become a standard of the Great American Songbook....
(with Joe Young) - Love, You Funny Thing!
- Mean to MeMean to Me (Fred E. Ahlert song)"Mean To Me" is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk, published in 1929. The song is a popular standard, recorded by many artists.Doris Day recorded a version for the 1955 film Love Me or Leave Me....
- Walkin' My Baby Back HomeWalkin' My Baby Back Home (song)"Walkin' My Baby Back Home" is a popular song written in 1930 by Roy Turk and Fred E. Ahlert . It first charted in 1931 with versions by Nick Lucas , Ted Weems , The Charleston Chasers , and Lee Morse ....
- Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)"Where the Blue of the Night " was the theme Bing Crosby selected for his radio show. It was recorded in November 1931, backed by Bennie Krueger's band. The song was featured in a Mack Sennett movie short starring Bing Crosby....
Ahlert was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
in 1970.
Family
Fred Ahlert and his wife, Mildred ("Millie") (b. approx 1894 RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; d. 1955 New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
), had three sons:
- Frederick Emil Ahlert, Jr. (b. 16 Feb 1926 New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; d. 8 Sep 2005 San Francisco) was one of the last independent music publishers. He worked for the Leo Feist Agency until he started Fred Ahlert Music Group after the death of his father in 1953. In addition to his father's catalog, among the songwriters Fred Jr. represented were Ted KoehlerTed KoehlerTed L. Koehler was an American lyricist.-Life and career:Koehler was born in Washington, D.C. He started out as a photo-engraver but was attracted to the music business, where he started out as a theater pianist for silent films. He moved on to write for vaudeville shows and Broadway, and he also...
, Irving KahalIrving KahalIrving Kahal was a popular lyricist active in the 1920's and '30's. He is best remembered for his collaborations with composer Sammy Fain which started in 1926 when Kahal was working in vaudeville sketches written by Gus Edwards...
, Walter DonaldsonWalter DonaldsonWalter Donaldson was a prolific United States popular songwriter, composing many hit songs of the 1910s and 1920s.-History:...
, Mort DixonMort Dixon-Biography:Born in New York, Dixon began writing songs in the early 1920s, and was active into the 1930s. He achieved success with his first published effort, 1923's "That Old Gang of Mine". His chief composer collaborators were Ray Henderson, Harry Warren, Harry M...
, Joe BurkeJoe Burke (composer)Joseph A. Burke was an American composer and pianist. He was born in Philadelphia and died in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and started as a pianist accompanying silent movies and an arranger in a music publishing firm. It was during this time...
, Edgar LeslieEdgar LeslieEdgar Leslie was an American songwriter. His first song Lonesome in 1909 was an immediate success, recorded by the Haydn Quartet and again by Byron G. Harlan. Other notable artists he worked with are:...
, John Jacob Loeb, Harold Stanley, Burt BacharachBurt BacharachBurt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
and Hal DavidHal DavidHarold Lane "Hal" David is an American lyricist. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. David is best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach.-Career:...
. Fred Jr. had a son, Fred Emil Ahlert III (b. 17 May 1958; d. 21 Apr 2008). - Arnold Ahlert
- Richard Ahlert (b. 4 Sep. 1921; d. 9 Aug. 1985 Scarsdale, New YorkScarsdale, New YorkScarsdale is a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the northern suburbs of New York City. The Town of Scarsdale is coextensive with the Village of Scarsdale, but the community has opted to operate solely with a village government, one of several villages...
) graduated from Juilliard when he was 17. He was a clarinetist and songwriter who composed over 1,000 songs, including the Broadway musical, Adam, for which his wife, June Tansey, wrote the book. He was a member of ASCAP and his songs included My Days of Loving You, recorded by Perry ComoPerry ComoPierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, and Running Out of Fools, recorded by Aretha FranklinAretha FranklinAretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
.
Fred Ahlert had a brief prior marriage to Minnie Campbell. They were married October 17, 1912, 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...
, New York.