Roy C. Bennett
Encyclopedia
Roy C. Bennett is an American
songwriter
known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper
, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley
. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.
. Their mutual interest in music led to a highly successful music collaboration that spanned more than twenty-five years.
Roy Bennett graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School
in the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, then he studied music at City College of New York
. Although blessed with a good singing voice he chose to pursue his lifelong interest in writing words and music. However, his career plans were interrupted by World War II
when he served with the United States Army Air Forces
. After the war he joined ASCAP and worked as a staff writer for Mills Music Inc. (now EMI Mills Music Inc.
)
Partnered with Sid Tepper, between 1945 and 1970 Bennett had close to three hundred musical compositions published. In 1948 they wrote "Red Roses for a Blue Lady
" first recorded by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians
and was a No.3 hit single
for vocalist Vaughn Monroe
. The song has been recorded by others such as Wayne Newton
, Vic Dana
, Eddy Arnold
and Andy Williams
. Bennett and Tepper scored big again in 1951 when Rosemary Clooney
recorded their composition "Suzy Snowflake
."
In 1955, their 1954 composition of "Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" was a top-10 hit for both Dean Martin
and the Ames Brothers
and the novelty song "Nuttin' For Christmas
" by the Art Mooney
band and singer Barry J. Gordon went to No. 6 on the music charts and was recorded by four other singers. In 1958, the popular singer and TV variety show host Perry Como
had a top-10 hit with their "Kewpie Doll
."
Other successful artists who recorded Bennett & Tepper songs include The Beatles, Perry Como, Tennessee Ernie Ford
, Robert Goulet
, Dinah Shore
, Burl Ives
, Eartha Kitt
, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Frank Sinatra
, Cliff Richard, Duke Ellington, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Marty Robbins, the Ames Brothers, Jo Stafford, Wayne Newton, and Sarah Vaughn. While these songs were very important in the music world, they prospered significantly with the onset of Rock and Roll
music. They wrote fifteen songs for British
superstar Cliff Richard
, including his biggest selling single ever, "The Young Ones
" which was also used in Richard's 1961 motion picture
of the same name and two decades later in the 1982-1984 UK
television series with the same title, The Young Ones
. In 2002, Mr. Bennett was invited to England to meet Cliff Richard and sang "The Young Ones" with him before an audience of 12,000 people in Birmingham.
Other pop music
artists who recorded their songs include Connie Francis
and The Beatles
but most significantly are forty-two songs recorded by Elvis Presley
that appear on a number of Presley's music album
s and film soundtracks.
Their collaboration ended in the 1970s when Sid Tepper suffered a heart attack
and retired to Florida
. Bennett remained active, and published the Choral Singer's Handbook which still in print today. Fascinated by the desktop computer, he also helped create a software program called PowerMacros for WordPerfect
.
In 2002, Roy Bennett and Sid Tepper were honored at ceremonies in Memphis, Tennessee
by Lisa Marie Presley
for their contribution to her father's success. They were also honored for having written almost half the album in Presley fans favorite, Blue Hawaii
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper
Sid Tepper
Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:...
, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.
Biography
Born into an Eastern European immigrant family, as a young boy growing up in Brooklyn he befriended a newly arrived neighbor by the name of Sid TepperSid Tepper
Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:...
. Their mutual interest in music led to a highly successful music collaboration that spanned more than twenty-five years.
Roy Bennett graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School
Thomas Jefferson High School (Brooklyn, New York)
Thomas Jefferson High School is a former high school in the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York. The New York City Department of Education closed the school and broke it into several different schools in 2007, owing to low graduation rates....
in the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, then he studied music at City College of New York
City College of New York
The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...
. Although blessed with a good singing voice he chose to pursue his lifelong interest in writing words and music. However, his career plans were interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when he served with the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
. After the war he joined ASCAP and worked as a staff writer for Mills Music Inc. (now EMI Mills Music Inc.
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
)
Partnered with Sid Tepper, between 1945 and 1970 Bennett had close to three hundred musical compositions published. In 1948 they wrote "Red Roses for a Blue Lady
Red Roses for a Blue Lady
"Red Roses for a Blue Lady" is a 1948 popular song by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett . It has been recorded by a number of performers. The best-selling recording was made by Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra Vocalists: Vaughn Monroe and The Moon Men on December 15, 1948...
" first recorded by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
and was a No.3 hit single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
for vocalist Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader and actor, most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for recording and radio.-Biography:...
. The song has been recorded by others such as Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
, Vic Dana
Vic Dana
Vic Dana is an American dancer and singer.Discovered by Sammy Davis, Jr., Dana was an excellent dancer , and was encouraged by Davis to move to Los Angeles to further his career. With the decline of dancing as a form of entertainment Dana initiated a singing career. He is best known for his 1965...
, Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
and Andy Williams
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew "Andy" Williams is an American singer who has recorded 18 Gold- and three Platinum-certified albums. He hosted The Andy Williams Show, a TV variety show, from 1962 to 1971, as well as numerous television specials, and owns his own theater, the Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri,...
. Bennett and Tepper scored big again in 1951 when Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
recorded their composition "Suzy Snowflake
Suzy Snowflake
"Suzy Snowflake" is a popular Christmas song written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, made famous by Rosemary Clooney in 1951 and released as a 78 RPM record by Columbia Records, MJV-123....
."
In 1955, their 1954 composition of "Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" was a top-10 hit for both Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
and the Ames Brothers
Ames Brothers
The Ames Brothers were a singing quartet from Malden, Massachusetts, who were particularly famous in the 1950s for their traditional pop music hits.-Biography:The Ames Brothers got their beginning in Malden, where all four were born...
and the novelty song "Nuttin' For Christmas
Nuttin' For Christmas
"Nuttin’ for Christmas" is a novelty Christmas song written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett. It became a hit during the 1955 Christmas season when the song showed up on Billboard’s pop charts by a total of five different artists...
" by the Art Mooney
Art Mooney
Art Mooney was an American popular bandleader. His biggest hits were "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" and "Baby Face" in 1948 and "Nuttin' For Christmas," with Barry Gordon, in 1955...
band and singer Barry J. Gordon went to No. 6 on the music charts and was recorded by four other singers. In 1958, the popular singer and TV variety show host Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino 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...
had a top-10 hit with their "Kewpie Doll
Kewpie Doll (song)
"Kewpie Doll" is a popular song written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett.In the United States, the most popular version was a recording by Perry Como; in the United Kingdom, Como's version competed with a version recorded by Frankie Vaughan....
."
Other successful artists who recorded Bennett & Tepper songs include The Beatles, Perry Como, Tennessee Ernie Ford
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ernest Jennings Ford , better known as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist and television host who enjoyed success in the country and Western, pop, and gospel musical genres...
, Robert Goulet
Robert Goulet
Robert Gerard Goulet was a Canadian American entertainer as a singer and actor. He played the role of Lancelot in the Broadway musical Camelot of 1960.-Early life:...
, Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
, Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, 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...
, Les Paul & Mary Ford, 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...
, Cliff Richard, Duke Ellington, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Marty Robbins, the Ames Brothers, Jo Stafford, Wayne Newton, and Sarah Vaughn. While these songs were very important in the music world, they prospered significantly with the onset of Rock and Roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music. They wrote fifteen songs for British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
superstar Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, including his biggest selling single ever, "The Young Ones
The Young Ones (song)
"The Young Ones" is a single by Cliff Richard and The Shadows. The song, written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, is the title song to the 1961 film The Young Ones and its soundtrack album...
" which was also used in Richard's 1961 motion picture
The Young Ones (film)
The Young Ones is a British musical released in 1961, featuring singer Cliff Richard. The musical was directed by Sidney J. Furie and was produced by Kenneth Harper and Andrew Mitchell for the Associated British Studios at Elstree. The original screenplay was written by Peter Myers and Ronald...
of the same name and two decades later in the 1982-1984 UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television series with the same title, The Young Ones
The Young Ones (TV series)
The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
. In 2002, Mr. Bennett was invited to England to meet Cliff Richard and sang "The Young Ones" with him before an audience of 12,000 people in Birmingham.
Other pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
artists who recorded their songs include Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
but most significantly are forty-two songs recorded by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
that appear on a number of Presley's music album
Music Album
Music album is the name of:* Music Album , a 1970s Canadian television series* Album, a collection of music tracks...
s and film soundtracks.
Their collaboration ended in the 1970s when Sid Tepper suffered a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
and retired to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Bennett remained active, and published the Choral Singer's Handbook which still in print today. Fascinated by the desktop computer, he also helped create a software program called PowerMacros for WordPerfect
WordPerfect
WordPerfect is a word processing application, now owned by Corel.Bruce Bastian, a Brigham Young University graduate student, and BYU computer science professor Dr. Alan Ashton joined forces to design a word processing system for the city of Orem's Data General Corp. minicomputer system in 1979...
.
In 2002, Roy Bennett and Sid Tepper were honored at ceremonies in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
by Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
for their contribution to her father's success. They were also honored for having written almost half the album in Presley fans favorite, Blue Hawaii
Blue Hawaii (album)
Blue Hawaii is the fourteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2426, in October 1961 - the exact date of October 1 is disputed. It is a soundtrack for Presley's film of the same name. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on...
.