Abe Olman

Abe Olman (December 20, 1887 – January 4, 1984), born Abraham Olshewitz, was an American songwriter and music publisher. He composed a number of successful ragtime and popular songs including "Red Onion Rag", "Down Among the Sheltering Palms" (1915), "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!" (1917), and "Down By the O-Hi-O" (1920). He was later director of ASCAP, and a founder of the Songwriters Hall of Fame which, in 1983, named the annual Abe Olman Publisher Award in his honor.

Career He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Julius and Carolina Olshewitz, who had been born in Poland and Germany respectively. He learned piano as a child, and in the early 1900s started work as a traveling music salesman around Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. His first compositions were published in Cincinnati in 1907, and then in 1909 in Indianapolis, where he lived for a period. In 1912, he moved to New York City, where his "Red Onion Rag" was published by George W. Meyer. After returning to the US, he set up the LaSalle Music Publishing Company in Chicago in 1914, and published his own song, "Down Among the Sheltering Palms", with words by James Brockman. He sold the song to New York publisher Leo Feist; it was performed and recorded by Al Jolson and became a great success.

In 1920, Olman began working in Manhattan for the Forster music publishing firm, and became a member of ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Two of his songs were included in the 1920 Ziegfeld Follies, including "O-Hi-O (O-My!-O!)", with lyrics by Jack Yellen, which was introduced by Al Jolson and which later (as "Down By the O-Hi-O") became a hit for the Andrews Sisters. Although he continued to write songs thereafter, he worked increasingly as an executive in the music industry. He became the secretary and general manager of Leo Feist, Inc. in 1935, holding the post until 1956, and also began working for the much larger firm of Robbins Music in the early 1940s. He is credited as being one of the first to see the benefits of promoting a song by placing it in a motion picture, particularly by playing the theme song under the opening credits. 1917 "Faugh-A-Ballagh (Fog-A-Bolla)" - L: Ed Rose) 1917 "When I Get back to Home Sweet Home" 1918 "Meaning of YMCA You Must Come Across" - L: Ed Rose 1918 "Oh, Susie, Behave" - L: Ed Rose 1918 "Pick a Little Four-Leaf Clover (And Send It Over to Me)" - L: C. Francis Reiner and Ed. Rose 1919 "Cootie Tickle, The (Over Here It's the Shimmie Dance)" - L: Jack Yellen 1919 "Johnny's in Town" with Geo. W. Meyer - L: Jack Yellen 1919 "I'm Waiting for Ships That Never Come In" - L: Jack Yellen