Irving Taylor (songwriter)
Encyclopedia
Irving Taylor was a Jewish-American composer, lyricist, and screenwriter. He enlisted in the US Navy
the day after Pearl Harbor. While in uniform, he and Vic Mizzy wrote entertainments for personnel stationed at the Staten Island Navy Yard, and he later served as a quartermaster on an LST involved in African and European invasions during World War II
. He married Katharine Snell, an American dancer, model and actress, on 20 September 1942 and they had two children. He had changed his last name by 1936 from Goldberg to Taylor.
He lived and worked in New York City until enlisting in the Navy. After the war ended, he began writing and producing for television (The Carmen Cavallero Show, The Freddy Martin Show, and several situation comedies), and maintained homes in both New York City and Los Angeles until finally settling in Los Angeles around 1956.
Irving formed Kiss Music Co. in the late 1950s. "Kiss" is an anagram made from the first letters of Taylor's wife and children's first names. Kiss Music Co. now does business in Philadelphia, where Taylor's son Stephen resides. His daughter Suzanna died on January 5, 1995, in Wilmington, NC, where her children continue to reside.
His wife Katharine died 21 August 2001, in Wilmington, NC.
Irving is buried at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, in Los Angeles.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
the day after Pearl Harbor. While in uniform, he and Vic Mizzy wrote entertainments for personnel stationed at the Staten Island Navy Yard, and he later served as a quartermaster on an LST involved in African and European invasions during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He married Katharine Snell, an American dancer, model and actress, on 20 September 1942 and they had two children. He had changed his last name by 1936 from Goldberg to Taylor.
He lived and worked in New York City until enlisting in the Navy. After the war ended, he began writing and producing for television (The Carmen Cavallero Show, The Freddy Martin Show, and several situation comedies), and maintained homes in both New York City and Los Angeles until finally settling in Los Angeles around 1956.
Irving formed Kiss Music Co. in the late 1950s. "Kiss" is an anagram made from the first letters of Taylor's wife and children's first names. Kiss Music Co. now does business in Philadelphia, where Taylor's son Stephen resides. His daughter Suzanna died on January 5, 1995, in Wilmington, NC, where her children continue to reside.
His wife Katharine died 21 August 2001, in Wilmington, NC.
Irving is buried at Mt. Sinai Memorial Park, in Los Angeles.
Partial List of Songs (lyrics unless otherwise noted)
- Swing, Mr. Charlie (1936) with Harry BrooksHarry Brooks (composer)Harry Brooks was an American writer of popular songs, jazz pianist and composer in the 1920s through the early 1950s....
and J. Russel Robinson; - "My Heart Is A Violin" with Emery Deutsch and J. Russel Robinson;
- "Three Little Sisters" (1942) with Vic MizzyVic MizzyVic Mizzy was an American composer for television and movies whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms Green Acres and The Addams Family. He also penned top-20 songs from the 1930s to 1940s.-Biography:Vic Mizzy was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended New York...
; - "Take It Easy" (1943) with Albert De Bru and Vic MizzyVic MizzyVic Mizzy was an American composer for television and movies whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms Green Acres and The Addams Family. He also penned top-20 songs from the 1930s to 1940s.-Biography:Vic Mizzy was born in Brooklyn, New York and attended New York...
; - "One-zy Two-zy" (1946) with Dave Franklin;
- "Everybody Loves SomebodyEverybody Loves Somebody"Everybody Loves Somebody" is a song written in 1947 by Sam Coslow, Irving Taylor and Ken Lane. By 1964, the song had already been recorded by several artists , but without much success...
" (1947) with music by Ken LaneKen LaneKermit "Ken" Lane was an American musician from Brooklyn, New York. He was best known to audiences as Dean Martin's pianist on The Dean Martin Show in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but was already well known in the film community before that.With Irving Taylor, Lane co-wrote "Everybody Loves...
; - "Caramba! It's The Samba " (1947) with Edward PolaEdward PolaEdward "Eddie" Pola was an actor, radio/television producer, and songwriter....
and George WyleGeorge WyleGeorge Wyle , born Bernard Weissman, was an American orchestra leader and composer best known for having written the theme song to 1960s television sitcom Gilligan's Island.-Early Years:...
; - "So Dear To My Heart" (1947) with music by Ticker Freeman;
- "Quicksilver" (1949) with George Wyle and Eddie Pola;
- "Wandering Swallow" (1951) with Harold Stevens;
- "Am I A Toy Or A Treasure?" (1954) with Arthur Altman and Louis C. Singer;
- "{Everybody's Waitin' For) The Man With the Bag" (1950) with Dudley Brooks and Hal Stanley;
- "Give Me Your WordGive Me Your Word"Give Me Your Word" is a popular song written by George Wyle and Irving Taylor in 1954. The biggest selling version, recorded by Tennessee Ernie Ford, was released on 31 May 1954 by Capitol Records in the United States, and reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart in March 1955. The record was produced...
" (1955) with George Wyle; - "Pachalafaka" (1958), words and music;
- "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" (1959) words and music;
- "A Christmas Toast" with Ken Lane;
Movies
- "Three Little Sisters" (1944) lyricist; eponymous song also appeared in "Memoirs of a Geisha (2005);
- "So Dear to My Heart" (1948) lyricist;
- "Sudden Fear " (1952) lyricist;
- "Walk the Dark Street " (1956) writer;
- "The Pied Piper of Hamelin"The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 film)The Pied Piper of Hamelin is an American ninety-minute musical color television special originally shown by NBC on November 26, 1957, as their Thanksgiving Day offering for that year...
(1957) writer; - "The Lord Don't Play Favorites" (TV) (1956) writer
Television
- "Bob Newhart Show" (1961-1962) writer;
- "The Dean Martin Show" (1965) composer;
- "F Troop" (1965) composer;
- "Jonathan Winters Show" (1967-1969) writer;
- "The Muppet Show" (1976) composer;