Mort Shuman

Mortimer Shuman (November 12, 1938 – November 2, 1991) was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas". He also wrote and sang many songs in French, such as "Le Lac Majeur", "Papa-Tango-Charly", "Sha Mi Sha", "Un Été de Porcelaine", and "Brooklyn by the Sea" which became hits in France and several other European countries. Shuman wrote over 500 songs, including those for Ben E. King, Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Andy Williams, and Janis Joplin. He was also responsible for the English-language production of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Shuman was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early life Mortimer Shuman was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States, on November 12, 1938, to Polish Jewish immigrant parents. His parents, Louis and Esther, were poor. He attended the New York Conservatory, Andy Williams, Bobby Darin, Fabian, Ajda Pekkan, the Drifters, and Elvis Presley, among others.

He also wrote a couple of hits in the UK (including the Small Faces' "Sha-La-La-La-Lee" and Cilla Blacks' "Love's Just A Broken Heart", both co-written with Kenny Lynch), as well as a musical, Budgie (lyrics by Don Black). while another one of his compositions from the soundtrack, "Baby Come On" (billed under the Sex O'Clock U.S.A. name during its chart run) become a modest hit on Billboard's Disco chart, peaking at number 37 in July 1977. He also did many collaborations with the Israeli singer Mike Brant, and composed film scores, often French movies, including A Day at the Beach (1970), Romance of a Horsethief (1971), Black Thursday (1974), À nous les petites Anglaises (1976), Monsieur Papa (1977) and The More It Goes, the Less It Goes (1977). He also worked occasionally as an actor, notably appearing with Jodie Foster in The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (for which he also served as musical supervisor).

"Sorrow" was another of his well-known songs, which he performed on January 14, 1978, during TF1's , the variety show of .

During a stay in Arcachon, France, he met a woman from Bordeaux, was his last wife.

His third language was French, whose sounds he adored.

A few years later, his remains were transferred to the vault of his in-laws,

Awards and honors César Awards 1977: nominated for Best Music for .

On May 27, 1992, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 23rd annual Induction and Awards Dinner held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers.

On March 15, 2010, Shuman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the 25th annual induction ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. He was one of the 2010 recipients of the Ahmet Ertegun Award from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He joined his early collaborator Doc Pomus, who was inducted in 1992.

Selected discography Albums Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1968) with Eric Blau My Death (1969) Amerika (1972) Voilà Comment... (1973) Des Chansons Sentimentales (1974) Imagine (1976) - certified in France À Nous les Petites Anglaises! (1976) Soundtrack My Name Is Mortimer (1977) Le Nègre Blanc (1979) Slave (1980) Lumières d'Amour (1982) Pharaon (1984) Distant Drum (1991)

Singles "Le Lac Majeur" (1972) (a Number One hit in the Netherlands in 1973) "La Splendeur de Rome" (1974) "Sorrow" (1976) "Machines" (1980)

Selected filmography (As composer unless otherwise stated) A Day at the Beach (1970) Romance of a Horsethief (1971) Black Thursday (1974) Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (1975) (Actor and lyricist) The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976) (Actor) A Guy Like Me Should Never Die (1976) (Actor and composer) Let's Get Those English Girls (1976) Game of Seduction (1976) A Real Young Girl (1976) High Street (1976) (Actor and composer) La Nuit de Saint-Germain-des-Prés (1977) (Actor and composer) The More It Goes, the Less It Goes (1977) (Actor and composer) Monsieur Papa (1977) Holiday Hotel (1978) The Associate (1979) Psy (1981) Cent Francs L'amour (1986)