Editing Sherman Edwards

{{short description|American songwriter}}

{{use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2009}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Sherman Edwards
| image =
| caption =
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| background = non_performing_personnel
| birth_name =Sherman Edwards
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1919|4|3}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1981|3|30|1919|4|3}}
| birth_place = [[New York City]], U.S.
| death_place = New York City, U.S.
| instrument = [[Piano]]
| genre =
| occupation = [[Composer]], [[pianist]], [[songwriter]]
| years_active =
| label =
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| website =
}}

'''Sherman Edwards''' (April 3, 1919 – March 30, 1981) was an American composer, jazz pianist, and songwriter, best known for his songs from the 1969 [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'' and the 1972 [[1776 (film)|film adaptation]].

==Early life==
Edwards was born in the [[East Harlem]] neighborhood of [[New York City]] and was raised in the [[Weequahic, Newark, New Jersey|Weequahic]] section of [[Newark, New Jersey]], where he attended [[Weequahic High School]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/533464688/ "Creator of Show ''1776'' Working on New Musical"], ''The News'', September 20, 1969. Accessed November 18, 2021, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "He was born in Harlem in the vicinity of 116th Street and Madison Avenue and began his education at the Hecksher Foundation for underprivileged children and attended PS III. Eventually he graduated from Weequahic High School in Newark, then worked his way through New York University by playing in the top bands of the day and often appeared in the 9 a.m. history class in a tuxedo."</ref> He attended [[New York University]], where he majored in history.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100613123607/http://bard.org/education/studyguides/1776/playwrights.html#.U55mKfl3LpE] </ref> Throughout college, Edwards moonlighted, playing [[jazz piano]] for late night radio and music shows. After serving in [[World War II]], Edwards taught high school history for a brief period before continuing his career as a pianist, playing with some of history's most famous [[swing band]]s and artists, including [[Louis Armstrong]], [[Tommy Dorsey]] and [[Benny Goodman]].<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/04/01/obituaries/sherman-edwards-61-composer-and-lyricist-for-1776-is-dead.html|title=Sherman Edwards, 61, Composer And Lyricist for '1776,' Is Dead (Published 1981)|work=The New York Times |date=April 1, 1981|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref>

He lived in [[Parsippany-Troy Hills|Parsippany, New Jersey]], from 1958 to 1981.<ref>Wallace, Ken. [https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/492224547/ "He wrote the play courageously and he won with ''1776''"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', May 21, 1972. Accessed November 18, 2021, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Edwards, who makes his home in Parsippany, with his wife, Ingrid, son, Keith, 15, and daughter, Valerie, 18, sincerely believes that America's forefathers were great men and the Declaration of Independence is 'one of the greatest documents ever conceived by man.'"</ref><ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50080838/daily-record/ "Sherman Edwards, Composer Of ''1776''"], ''[[Daily Record (Morristown)|Daily Record]]'', April 1, 1981. Accessed November 18, 2021, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Parsippany - Sherman Edwards, who conceived, composed, and wrote the lyrics of the Broadway hit ''1776,'' died Monday afternoon of a heart attack in a friend's home In New York City. He was 62, and lived on North Beverwyck Road, Boonton Manor."</ref>

==Early music career==
After a few years as a band leader and arranger for artist [[Mindy Carson]], Edwards started writing pop songs at the [[Brill Building]] with writers including [[Hal David]], [[Burt Bacharach]], [[Sid Wayne]], Earl Shuman and others.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} He turned out numerous hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s. As [[Rock n' Roll]] caught on, he found himself still at the Brill Building writing songs for [[Elvis Presley]], including the Presley number ''Flaming Star''. However, working with Presley's manager [[Colonel Tom Parker|"The Colonel"]] proved to be Edwards' impetus to leave pop and rock songwriting; Presley's songwriters were forced to make huge monetary concessions in order to have their songs recorded by Presley.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}

According to collaborator Earl Shuman, one day while collaborating with Edwards in the Brill building, where publishers provided music rooms for the songwriters, Edwards left mid-song saying something to the effect that he "wasn't into the rock songs any more" and that he had an idea for a show and was going home to write it.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} This began the evolution of ''1776''.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}

Prior to ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'', Edwards had written the incidental music for the stage comedy ''A Mighty Man is He'', which opened on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] at the [[James Earl Jones Theatre|Cort Theatre]] on January 6, 1960, and closed January 9 after five performances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=2875|title=A Mighty Man Is He – Broadway Play – Original|website=IBDb.com|access-date=July 1, 2023}}</ref>

Edwards also wrote the score for a children’s musical “Who’s Afraid of Mother Goose?” With lyrics by Ruth Batchelor, this one-hour show was broadcast on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC-TV]] on October 13, 1967. It starred [[Maureen O'Hara]] and featured [[Peter Gennaro]], [[Frankie Avalon]], [[Nancy Sinatra]], [[Margaret Hamilton (actress)|Margaret Hamilton]], [[Dick Shawn]], [[Dan Rowan]], and [[Dick Martin (comedian)|Dick Martin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicals101.com/tv4.htm|title=Musicals on Television: 1966-1969|website=Musicals101.com|access-date=July 1, 2023}}</ref>

==Popular songs written by Edwards==
* "[[Broken Hearted Melody]]" (words by [[Hal David]]), a 1959 hit for [[Sarah Vaughan]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Artist: Sherman Edwards |url=https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/7905/all |website=Secondhand Songs}}</ref>
* "[[Dungaree Doll]]" (words by [[Ben Raleigh]]), a 1955 hit for [[Eddie Fisher]]
* "[[Flaming Star (song)|Flaming Star]]" (words by [[Sid Wayne]]), the theme song for the 1960 [[Elvis Presley]] [[Flaming Star|film of the same name]]
* "The Sounds of Summer" (words by Sid Wayne), recorded by the [[Harry Simeone Chorale]]
* "[[Johnny Get Angry]]" (words by Hal David), a 1962 hit for [[Joanie Sommers]]
* "[[Wonderful! Wonderful!]]" (words by Ben Raleigh), a 1957 success for [[Johnny Mathis]]
* "[[See You in September]]" (words by Sid Wayne), a 1959 hit for The Tempos and 1966 hit for [[The Happenings]]
* "For Heaven's Sake", recorded by [[Billie Holiday]] on the 1958 album ''[[Lady in Satin]]''

==''1776''==
Edwards' crowning achievement was, arguably, the musical ''[[1776 (musical)|1776]]'', for which he wrote the original book, lyrics and music. Peter Stone re-wrote the book. The show depicts the meeting of the [[Continental Congress]] in [[Philadelphia]], culminating with the signing of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]. It opened at the [[46th Street Theatre]] on March 16, 1969, and ran for 1,217 performances. It won the [[Tony Award for Best Musical]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/2859 |title=''1776'' |website=IBDb.com}}</ref>

===Musical numbers===
# Overture
# "Sit Down, John" – Adams, Congress
# "Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve"/"Till Then" – Adams
# "Till Then" – Adams, Abigail
# "The Lees of Old Virginia" – Lee, Franklin, Adams
# "But, Mr. Adams" – Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Sherman, Livingston
# "Yours, Yours, Yours" – John, Abigail
# "He Plays the Violin" – Martha Jefferson, Franklin, Adams
# "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" – Dickinson, The Conservatives
# "Mama Look Sharp" – Courier, McNair, Leather Apron
# "The Egg" – Franklin, Adams, Jefferson
# "Molasses to Rum" – Rutledge
# "Compliments" – Abigail
# "Is Anybody There?" – Adams
# Finale

===Film version===
The musical's 1972 film ''[[1776 (film)|1776]]'' retained all of Edwards' songs. "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" was edited out of the film after its initial reserved-seat road showings. The song – about the right-leaning South facing the left-leaning North – was also left off of the first VHS release. The number was restored for cable TV viewings and DVD release.

==Personal life==
Edwards was married to Ingrid (Secretan) Edwards, a dancer who was a member of the original [[The Ed Sullivan Show|Ed Sullivan]] dancers and danced on Broadway in ''Sweethearts'', ''[[Annie Get Your Gun (musical)|Annie Get Your Gun]]'', and ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''.

==Death==
[[File:Sherman Edwards Headstone 2011.JPG|thumb|The grave of Sherman Edwards]]
Edwards died of a heart attack in [[Manhattan]] at age 61 in 1981 and was interred at [[Kensico Cemetery]] in [[Valhalla, New York]]. He was survived by his wife, Ingrid; his son, Keith; his daughter, Valerie, and his mother, Rae Edwards.<ref name="auto"/>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{IMDb name|0250360}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081022134556/http://www.1776themusical.us/documentary.htm Sherman Edwards] 1970 Mike Whorf interview about ''1776'' (audio)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Sherman}}
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:American musical theatre composers]]
[[Category:American male musical theatre composers]]
[[Category:American musical theatre lyricists]]
[[Category:Broadway composers and lyricists]]
[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Burials at Kensico Cemetery]]
[[Category:20th-century American composers]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
[[Category:Musicians from Manhattan]]
[[Category:People from Harlem]]
[[Category:People from Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Weequahic High School alumni]]
[[Category:People from Newark, New Jersey]]
[[Category:New York University alumni]]
[[Category:American military personnel of World War II]]