Sunny Skylar (October 11, 1913 – February 2, 2009) was an American music
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and def ...
,
singer,
lyricist
A lyricist is a writer who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income derives ...
, and
music publisher
A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers began to play a role in the management of the intellectu ...
,
often recognized as one of the most prominent songwriters of the
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...
era. Sunny Skylar had written over 300 songs according to
ASCAP,
and was inducted into the
Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2010.
His compositions have been performed and recorded by countless timeless acts such as
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
,
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
,
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
,
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
, and
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially.
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...
. He may be best remembered for adapting English lyrics to popular songs like "
Bésame Mucho" and "
Amor", as well as his original compositions such as "Don't Wait Too Long", "Gotta Be This or That", "Waitin' For The Train to Come In", "You're Breaking My Heart", "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue", "A Little Bit South of North Carolina", and many more. Included in the
Great American Songbook and
The Real Book, many of Sunny Skylar's songs have remained jazz standards.
Early life
Sunny Skylar was born Selig Sidney Shaftel in
Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
on October 11, 1913. His father, Jack, was born in Russia and immigrated to the United States around the age of 10, while his mother, Sarah, was born in the state of New York, both in the 1880s. Jack and Sarah Shaftel occasionally performed a song and dance act in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
shows. Sunny was one of four children and grew up with his family in Brooklyn, New York.
Singing career
Sunny Skylar began his professional singing career at the age of 18, with the Harold Stern band at a resort known as "
Manhattan Beach" in 1932, after his friends jokingly pushed him on the bandstand and encouraged him to sing. After numerous requests and encores, the crowd and band enjoyed his singing enough to hire Skylar that day as the new resident vocalist for at Manhattan Beach. Classified as a
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
, by 1938, he was the featured singer in the orchestras of
Vincent Lopez and
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American Jazz bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.
As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 193 ...
, and soon appeared with a number of
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
s, including those led by
Ben Bernie,
Jack Denny,
Freddie Perren,
Abe Lyman
Abe Lyman (born Abraham Simon; August 4, 1897 – October 23, 1957) was a bandleader from the 1920s to the 1940s. He made recordings, appeared in films and provided the music for numerous radio shows, including '' Your Hit Parade''.
Biography
Bo ...
,
George Hall, Ben Marden,
Henry "Hank" Sylvern, Carl Hoff,
Henry King,
Adrian Rollini
Adrian Francis Rollini (June 28, 1903 – May 15, 1956) was an Americans, American jazz instrumentalist, multi-instrumentalist who primarily played the bass saxophone, piano, and vibraphone. He is also known for playing novelty instruments such ...
, and the CBS House Orchestra, under the name Sonny Schuyler (pronounced: "Skylar"). It was band leader,
Vincent Lopez, who changed the singer's professional name from Sonny Schuyler to Sunny Skylar, based in his strong belief in
numerology
Numerology (known before the 20th century as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, ...
in 1940. Lopez believed that the reduced number of letters was an omen of good fortune. Only a few months later, the newly named, Sunny Skylar, had his first chart-topping hit song.
In 1942, after entertaining for five years with
Vincent Lopez and His Hotel Taft Orchestra, Skylar embarked on a singing career in entertainment that was not tied to just one orchestra or bandleader. Instead, he entertained as a vocalist, mostly performing his own popular tunes as a headliner at music venues in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, such as the
Latin Quarter, Montreal,
El Morocco, and
La Martinique. With a growing demand for top performers in the newly developing
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas city limits ...
, Skylar secured
residencies at hotels such as
The Flamingo,
El Rancho,
El Cortez, and
The Dunes, among others. In August 1949, Sunny Skylar was a featured entertainer on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'', performing a four-minute
medley of some of his biggest songs on live television. He continued to perform in
nightclub
A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...
s and
theater
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...
s until 1952, when he retired from singing, at the end of the big band era.
Songwriting career
Though Skylar had many of his singing performances with
big band
A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...
s pressed onto
records throughout his career, it was his songwriting that would become his legacy. Skylar began as a songwriter in New York City's
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...
, which is said to be the birthplace of
pop music
Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Like many up-and-coming songwriters of the time, he was writing and refining songs for other composers, oftentimes not receiving credit for his work until he could prove himself as a consistent hit songwriter.
One of his first notable hit songs, "Don't Cry", was performed by Skylar with Vincent Lopez & His Suave String Orchestra for
Soundies on June 31, 1940, displayed on the
Mills Panoram Jukebox. His next hit song also came about in 1940, when during a live performance, Sunny observed Vincent Lopez overworking his orchestra, and spontaneously created the humorous lyrics which became known as "Fifteen Minute Intermission". He graduated to even greater popularity with his song "Just A Little Bit South of North Carolina" in 1941. His next two hits, "Move It Over" and "Paper Troopers", were written as wartime anthems for the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, both released in 1943.
One of Sunny Skylar's most well-known song credits is "
Bésame Mucho", which was originally written by the famed Mexican songwriter
Consuelo Velázquez
Consuelo Velázquez Torres (August 21, 1916, in Ciudad Guzmán, Jalisco – January 22, 2005, Mexico City), also popularly known as Consuelito Velázquez, was a Mexican concert pianist and composer. She was the composer of famous Mexican balla ...
. Skylar discovered the song while at the
La Martinique club in New York City. He noticed that people kept coming up to the bandleader requesting the same song every few minutes. He became really fond of the song and wrote his version of English lyrics to the melody. A common practice during the
Big Band Era was to adapt lyrics for audiences around the world. The English version of "Bésame Mucho" was first released in 1944 by
Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra. The song became and instant hit and has been covered countless times since its release. "Bésame Mucho" has been said to be one of the most popular songs of the 20th century. In 1999, it was recognized as the most recorded and covered song in of all time. "Bésame Mucho" was even the song recorded by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
on their demo that they used for a chance at a
record deal with
Decca Records
Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
on January 1, 1962. Compared to the original Spanish lyrics by
Velázquez published in 1941, Skylar's 1944 English version has been criticized for its overly romantic theme, as it is not a true Spanish to English translation. Skylar continued adapting English lyrics to songs and made two more hits,
"Amor" (originally by
Gabriel Ruiz) and "Be Mine Tonight (Noche De Ronda)" through the end of the 1940s.
Many hit songs followed such as "Gotta Be This or That", "You'll Always Be The One I Love", "And So To Sleep Again", "Atlanta, G.A.", "Waitin' For The Train To Come In", "Cry, Cry, Cry", "
Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue", "
It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake like That)", "It's All Over Now", "Louisville, K.Y.", "Nola", "Put That Ring on My Finger", "Song of New Orleans", and "Whatta Ya Gonna Do". Skylar's song "
You're Breaking My Heart", began as
Ruggero Leoncavallo's 1904
Italian opera
Italian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous ope ...
tune, "
Mattinata", which Skylar wrote lyrics and a melody to, and singer
Vic Damone
Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop music, pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My ...
made popular in 1949. Sunny Skylar has had hundreds of songs published through
ASCAP and
BMI, with the official
ASCAP database showing over 300 song credits to his name.
Popular music shifted from the
Big band era to
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
in the 1950s, but Skylar continued to have a few hits until 1965, making him one of only a few songwriters (including
Sammy Cahn and
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Wallichs Music Cit ...
) to transition from the era of
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...
songwriting to the newer sounds of the 1950s and 1960s.
"Love Me With All Your Heart", the song originally titled,
"Cuando Calienta El Sol", was released in 1964 by
The Ray Charles Singers, and would prove to be one their biggest selling
singles. His song "Don't Wait Too Long" on the
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
album, ''
September of My Years'', was released in 1965. Numerous songs credit his older brother, Arthur ("Artie") Shaftel as a co-songwriter with Skylar. Many of Skylar's compositions have been included in
The Real Book by
Hal Leonard Music Publishing, which continues to be a relevant collection of songs, which jazz musician learn from. Some of these titles include "Bésame Mucho", "Don't Wait Too Long", "Gotta Be This or That", "Love Me With All Your Heart", "Be Mine Tonight (Noche De Ronda)", and "Amor".
Music publishing
With a talent for recognizing hit songs, Sunny Skylar, began working as a music publisher at
Peer-Southern Music following his singing career. Peer-Southern Music was the company Skylar used most often to publish his own songs. In 1965, he moved to
São Paulo, Brazil
SAO or Sao may refer to:
Places
* Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD
* Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso
* Serb Autonomous Regions (''Srpska autonomna oblast'', SAO), during the breakup of Yu ...
and began working as a consultant for foreign songs. He relocated their
Hollywood, California
Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...
branch and worked closely with Roy Kohn and Bobby Mellin. Peer-Southern Music is known to be the largest independent music publisher in the world.
Death
Sunny Skylar died at the age of 95 on February 2, 2009, in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
.
Achievements
* Featured in ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' 152 times from January 1942 until April 2010 with top charting songs, advertisements, musical achievements, quotes, career updates, as well as song, album, and live performance reviews.
* Featured in ''
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' (1943) and ''
The New York Times Magazine
''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazi ...
'' (1944).
* Broke the Tin Pan Alley record of six number-one songs on the popular music charts at the same time.
* Inducted into the
Songwriter's Hall of Fame (2010).
* Songwriting credit of over 300 songs according to
ASCAP.
Popular compositions
Among the songs he wrote (either music and/or lyrics) are:
* "A Little Golden Cross" recorded by
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording and another f ...
* "
Amor" (English lyrics) recorded by
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
,
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
,
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...
, and
The Four Aces
* "
And So to Sleep Again" recorded by
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...
* "Are These Really Mine?" recorded by
Gene Krupa
* "Ask Me" recorded by
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
* "Atlanta, G.A." recorded by
Woody Herman and
Sammy Kaye
* "Be Mine Tonight (Noche De Ronda)" (English lyrics) recorded by
Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...
and
Andy Williams
Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
* "
Bésame Mucho" (English lyrics) recorded by
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
,
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
,
Jimmy Dorsey,
Chris Isaak, and
The Ventures
The Ventures are an American instrumental rock band formed in Tacoma, Washington, in 1958, by Don Wilson (musician), Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. The band, which was a quartet for most of its existence, helped to popularize the electric guitar acro ...
* "Capri In May" recorded by
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
* "Cry, Cry, Cry" recorded by
Kitty Kallen and
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
* "Don’t Cry" recorded by Sunny Skylar
* "Don't Wait Too Long" recorded by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
and
Tony Bennett
Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
* "Fifteen Minute Intermission" recorded by Sunny Skylar
* "Gotta Be This or That" recorded by
Ella Fitzgerald,
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Judy Garland,
Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially.
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...
,
Jimmy Dorsey, and
Ames Brothers
* "
Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue" recorded by
Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...
,
Gordon MacRae, and
Ronnie Ronalde
* "I Miss Your Kiss" recorded by
Vaughn Monroe
Vaughn Wilton Monroe (October 7, 1911 – May 21, 1973) was an American baritone singer, trumpeter and big band leader who was most popular in the 1940s and 1950s. He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for recording and another f ...
* "I'd Be Lost Without You" recorded by
Betty Jane Rhodes,
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was a Canadian and American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racing, hydroplane racer whose unique "sweet jazz" style remained popular with audiences for nearly five decade ...
, and
Marjorie Hughes
* "I'm-a Rollin'" recorded by
Roy Rodgers
* "I've Got Bells on My Heart" recorded by
Don Cornell
* "If You Loved Me (Soul Coaxing)" recorded by
Peggy March
* "It All Came True" recorded by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
* "
It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake like That)" recorded by
Glenn Miller
* "It's All Over Now" recorded by
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
* "Just a Little Bit South of North Carolina" recorded by
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
and
Anita O'Day
Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self-proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band appe ...
* "Long Time No See Baby"
* "Louisville, K.Y." recorded by
Ella Fitzgerald
* "Love Is So Terrific" recorded by
Vic Damone
Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop music, pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My ...
,
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
, Eileen and
The Satisfiers
* "
Love Me with All Your Heart" recorded by
The Ray Charles Singers
* "Move It Over"
* "Nola" recorded by
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz guitarist, jazz, country guitarist, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid body ...
and
Billy Williams
* "Put That Ring on My Finger" recorded by
Woody Herman,
The Andrews Sisters, and
Dolly Dawn
* "Pussy Cat" recorded by
Ames Brothers
* "Ridin' On The Gravy Train" recorded by
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
and
Jo Stafford
Jo Elizabeth Stafford (November 12, 1917July 16, 2008) was an American traditional pop singer, whose career spanned five decades from the late 1930s to the early 1980s. Admired for the purity of her voice, she originally underwent classical tr ...
* "Ruby-Duby-Du" recorded by
Joanie Sommers
* "Song of New Orleans" recorded by
Tony Martin
* "Too Soon" recorded by
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
* "Waitin' For The Train To Come In" recorded by
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
,
Kitty Kallen, and
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...
* "Watching The World Go By" recorded by
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
* "Whatta Ya Gonna Do" recorded by
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
* "Wherever There's Me recorded by There's You" -
Betty Hutton and
Peggy Lee
Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, and actress whose career spanned seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local r ...
* "You" recorded by
Sammy Kaye
* "You'll Always Be The One I Love" recorded by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
, and
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...
* "
You're Breaking My Heart" recorded by
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
,
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor, and comedian. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Cool", he is regarded as one of the most popular entertainers of ...
,
Vic Damone
Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018) was an American traditional pop music, pop and big band singer and actor. He was best known for his performances of songs such as the number one hit "You're Breaking My ...
, and
Buddy Clark
Music in movies
* ''
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
'' (2010) featuring "Amor"
* ''
The Quiet American'' (2002) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
Lolita
''Lolita'' is a 1955 novel written by Russian-American novelist Vladimir Nabokov. The protagonist and narrator is a French literature professor who moves to New England and writes under the pseudonym Humbert Humbert. He details his obsession ...
'' (1997) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Bugsy
''Bugsy'' is a 1991 American biographical crime drama film directed by Barry Levinson and written by James Toback. Starring Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley, Elliott Gould, Bebe Neuwirth, and Joe Mantegna, the f ...
'' (1991) featuring "Waitin' For The Train to Come In"
*
''The Naked Gun 2 1/2'': The Smell of Fear (1991) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
Avalon'' (1990) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
Moon Over Parador
''Moon over Parador'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by Paul Mazursky, who co-wrote the screenplay with Leon Capetanos. The film is based on the short story "Caviar for His Excellency" by Charles G. Booth and is ...
'' (1988) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
Frances
Frances is an English given name or last name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'the French.' The male version of the name in English is Francis (given name), Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "F ...
'' (1982) featuring "Love Is So Terrific"
* ''
Massacre Mafia Style'' (1974) featuring "Open Your Heart"
* ''Ardent Summer'' (1973) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
The Seduction of Mimi'' (1972) featuring "La Cumparsita
nglish Lyrics
* ''
Home Before Dark'' (1958) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
No Time For Sergeants'' (1958) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
The Proud and Profane'' (1956) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Flyg-Bom'' (1952) featuring "Bundle of Love"
* ''
Clash By Night'' (1952) featuring "Don't Cry"
* ''
Havana Rose'' (1951) featuring "Be Mine Tonight (Noche De Ronda)"
* ''
The Glass Menagerie'' (1950) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
Singing Guns'' (1950) featuring "Mexicali Trail"
* ''
Maytime in Mayfair'' (1949) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Riders of The Whistling Pines'' (1949) featuring "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue"
* ''
Fighter Squadron'' (1948) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
Swingin' Spurs'' (1948) featuring "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue"
* ''
The Voice of The Turtle'' (1947) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
Carnival in Costa Rica'' (1947) featuring "Costa Rica"
* ''
That Way With Women'' (1947) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
The Man I Love'' (1947) featuring "Gotta Be This or That"
* ''
Breakfast in Hollywood'' (1946) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Lights of Old Santa Fe'' (1944) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Swing In The Saddle'' (1944) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Broadway Rhythm'' (1944) featuring "Amor"
* ''
Swing Fever'' (1943) featuring "Sh-! Don't Make a Sound"
Music in television
* ''
Lovecraft Country (2020) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
'' (2014) featuring "
Bésame Mucho"
* ''
The War'' (2007) featuring "Waitin' For The Train to Come In"
* ''
Cold Case'' (2004–2005) featuring "Gotta Be This or That" and "Waitin' For The Train to Come In"
* ''
The Beatles Anthology
''The Beatles Anthology'' is a multimedia retrospective project consisting of a television documentary, a three-volume set of double albums, and a book describing the history of the Beatles. Beatles members Paul McCartney, George Harrison and R ...
'' (1995–1996)
* ''
Bandstand
A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...
'' (1966) featuring "Love Me With All Your Heart"
* ''
Shindig!'' (1965) featuring "Hidden Island"
* ''
Hawaiian Eye'' (1962) featuring "I'd Be Lost Without You"
* ''
Glenn Miller Time'' (1961) featuring " It Must Be Jelly ('Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That)"
* ''
The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin'' (1956) featuring "Yo-O Rinty"
* ''
The Milton Berle Show'' (1955) "You're Breaking My Heart"
* ''
Looney Tunes
''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...
'' (1946–1954) featuring "Gotta Be This or That", "All The Time", and "I'd Be Lost Without You"
* ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...
'' (1949) featuring "Just a Little Bit South of North Carolina", "Amor", "
Bésame Mucho", "Waitin' For The Train to Come In", "Love Is So Terrific", "Hair of Gold, Eyes of Blue", and "You're Breaking My Heart"
*
Soundies (1940) featuring "Don't Cry" and "Overnight"
Music for radio
* Composed the music to "Hello, Again", the theme song that
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
radio presenter Herb Oscar Anderson sang everyday to start his show. Anderson composed the lyrics.
* Hosted a weekly Sunday radio show during the 1940s on New York's WKBB, singing popular song requests. A songbook of sheet music was published with all of Skylar's favorite songs from this time period, titled ''Sunny Skylar's Radio Song Favorites''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Skylar, Sunny
1913 births
2009 deaths
American male composers
American music publishers (people)
Musicians from Brooklyn
20th-century American singers
20th-century American composers
20th-century American male singers