Jack Segal

Jack Segal (October 19, 1918 – February 10, 2005) was an American pianist and composer of popular American songs, known for writing the lyrics to "Scarlet Ribbons". His composition "May I Come In?" was the title track for a Blossom Dearie album. Other songs he authored or co-authored are "When Sunny Gets Blue", "That's the Kind of Girl I Dream Of", "I Keep Going Back to Joe's" (with Marvin Fisher), "A Boy from Texas, a Girl from Tennessee" (with John Benson Brooks and Joseph Allan McCarthy), "After Me" (with Blossom Dearie) and "When Joanna Loved Me" (with Robert Wells). It has been estimated that his songs have helped sell 65 million records.

In addition to the artists already mentioned, his songs have been recorded by Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine, Cher, Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, Al Jarreau and Nat King Cole.

Biography

Segal was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin, a master's degree from the New School for Social Research and also studied creative writing. He began his songwriting career in Paramount Pictures' music department, and by the mid-1940s, was writing songs recorded by artists including Nat King Cole and Boyd Raeburn. Later in Segal's career he wrote songs for television and taught songwriting at Cal State Northridge and in University of Southern California continuing education classes. He died of natural causes at the age of 86 in Tarzana, Los Angeles, California. At the time of his death, he was married to Helen Segal, and was survived by his wife, his three sons, David, Mark and Jason, and a daughter, Jody Davis.

Compositions "A Boy from Texas, a Girl from Tennessee" "After Me" "Bye Bye Barbara" "Here's To The Losers" "I Keep Goin' Back To Joe's" "I'll Remember Suzanne" (written with Dick Miles) "Laughing Boy" "May I Come In?" "More Love" "No Spring This Year" (written with Maddy Russell) "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair) " "Something Happens to Me" "Strings" "That's the Kind of Girl I Dream Of" "This God-Forsaken Day" "Too Soon Old—Too Late Smart" "What Are You Afraid Of" "When Joanna Loved Me" "When Sunny Gets Blue" "Who Started Love?" "Words and Music" (written with Marvin Fisher)

Discography When Sunny Gets Blue, Scarlet Ribbons and Other Songs I Wrote (Goodnight Kiss Records, produced by Janet Fisher)