Abe Olman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Abraham Olshewitz |
| Also known as | Abe Omar |
| Born | (1887-12-20)December 20, 1887 Cincinnati, Ohio, US |
| Died | January 4, 1984(1984-01-04) (aged 96) Rancho Mirage, California, US |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter,music publisher,music industry executive |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Years active | c.1905–1969 |
Abe Olman (December 20, 1887[1][note 1] – January 4, 1984), bornAbraham Olshewitz, was an Americansongwriter andmusic publisher. He composed a number of successfulragtime andpopular songs including "Red Onion Rag" (1912), "Down Among the Sheltering Palms" (1915), "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!" (1917), and "Down By the O-Hi-O" (1920). He was later director ofASCAP, and a founder of theSongwriters Hall of Fame which, in 1983, named the annual Abe Olman Publisher Award in his honor.
He was born inCincinnati, Ohio, the son of Julius and Corrlina Olshewitz, who had been born inRussia andGermany respectively.[2] He learnedpiano as a child, and in the early 1900s started work as a traveling music salesman aroundOhio,Indiana andKentucky. His first compositions were published in Cincinnati in 1907, and then in 1909 inIndianapolis, where he lived for a period. In 1912, he moved toNew York City, where his "Red Onion Rag" was published by George W. Meyer.[1] He also spent time in Europe, performing in clubs inLondon andParis before the outbreak of theFirst World War.[3] After returning to the US, he set up the LaSalle Music Publishing Company inChicago in 1914, and published his own song, "Down Among the Sheltering Palms", with words by James Brockman.[4] He sold the song to New York publisherLeo Feist; it was performed and recorded byAl Jolson and became a great success.[1] He continued to write prolifically, mainly with lyricistEd Rose, and in 1917 they published "Oh Johnny, Oh!". The song was recorded in 1917 by bothBilly Murray andNora Bayes. It was successfully revived in 1939 byOrrin Tucker with singer"Wee" Bonnie Baker, and byThe Andrews Sisters,[1] and was recorded in 1959 byPeggy Lee on her albumI Like Men!.[5]
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 1920Ziegfeld Follies, including "O-Hi-O (O-My!-O!)", with lyrics byJack 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 amotion picture, particularly by playing thetheme song under theopening credits.[3] Olman was also director of ASCAP from 1946 to 1956.[1]
In 1969, withJohnny Mercer andHowie Richmond, he co-founded theNational Academy of Popular Music'sSongwriters Hall of Fame. In 1983, the Songwriters Hall of Fame established and named the annual Abe Olman Publisher Award in his honor.[1]
He married actress Mattie Adele Parker (stage name Peggy Parker) in 1922; they had two daughters. In later life he moved to live insouthern California. He died inRancho Mirage, California in 1984, at the age of 96.[1]
