Allan Sherman - Writers, Life Achievements and Childhood
Allan Sherman's Personal Details
Pop humourist Allan Sherman, was the creator of the famous compilation of parodies ‘My Son, the Folk Singer’, ‘My Son, the Celebrity’ and ‘My Son, the Nut’
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | November 30, 1924 |
| Died on | November 20, 1973 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Jewish Comedians, University Of Illinois, Film & Theater Personalities, Comedians, Writers |
| Spouses | Dee Chackes |
| Known as | Allan Copelon |
| Childrens | Robert Sherman |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | Chicago |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Percy Copelon |
| Mother | Rose Copelon |
| Sun Sign | Sagittarius |
| Born in | Chicago |
| Famous as | Writer |
| Died at Age | 48 |
// Famous Comedians
Meghan Rienks
Check out all that you wanted to know about Meghan Rienks, the famous American YouTuber & vlogger; her birthday, her family and personal life, her boyfriends, fun trivia facts and more.
Desmond English
Check out all that you wanted to know about Desmond English, the famous YouTuber and Viner; his birthday, his family and personal life, his wife, fun trivia facts and more.
Meital Dohan
Meital Dohan is an award-winning Israeli theater, film, and television actress, comedian and singer. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.
Allan Sherman's photo
Who is Allan Sherman?
Hailing from a modest background, Allan went on to become one of the most prominent names in the field of Pop humour. His witty parodies went on to become hugely popular, and he became the pioneer of this style of music. The success of his work ‘My Son, the Folk Singer’, paved way for a number of other copycat releases, which flooded the market. Building on the success of his first release with the label ‘Warner Bros. Records’, he released two follow up albums titled ‘My Son, the Celebrity’ and ‘My Son, the Nut’. The albums helped Allan earn the respect of music lovers. It is also reported that President John F. Kennedy was seen humming Sherman’s parodies. The popularity of Allan was short lived and after the assassination of Kennedy, Allan, like other comedians, he too went through a rough patch. Allan also developed the concept and produced the game show ‘I've Got a Secret’. He even penned a book titled ‘Rape of the APE’ which was a hilarious take on the American Puritan Ethics. A man of creative nature, Allan was amiable with most of his colleagues, but couldn’t withstand anyone coming in the path of his creativity. Read on to learn more about the comic genius.
// Famous Jewish Comedians
Jack Black
Jack Black is a renowned American actor-producer and voice artist. Explore this biography to learn more about his profile, childhood, career and timeline
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman is a stand-up comedienne known for her performances in television shows and films. This biography provides detailed information on her childhood, life, career, achievements and timeline.
Adam Sandler
Adam Sandler is an American actor and comedian known for his roles in films like ‘Punch-Drunk Love’ and ‘The Wedding Singer’. This biography of Adam Sandler provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Childhood & Early Life
Born to Jewish parents Percy Copelon and Rose Sherman in Chicago, on November 30, 1924, Allan Sherman adopted his mother’s maiden name after his parents got divorced. His father was an auto mechanic and a racing driver. Suffering from obesity, father Percy died in a quest to observe a 100-day diet.
With the family shifting homes frequently, Allan had to attend school at myriad locations including cities like Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
He then moved to the prestigious ‘University of Illinois’, it was here that Allan discovered his talent and he featured regularly in the humour column of the college newspaper ‘The Daily Illini’.
Allan, a mediocre student, got into trouble for breaking the rules of the sorority house when he tried to bring along his then girlfriend to the place. The University finally expelled him, thus debarring him from graduating.
Career
Allan embarked on his career as a musical humourist in 1951, with the parody ‘A Satchel and a Seck’, disparaging the popular song of the fifties ‘A Bushel and a Peck’. This duet which also featured the artist Sylvia Froos, was recorded by the label ‘Jubilee Records’.
Based on the Bing and Gary Crosby hit number ‘Sam’s Song’, Allan recorded another satire titled ‘Jake’s Song’ for ‘Jubilee Records’. Both the songs failed to take off well and Allan soon ran out of work. He then moved on to produce game shows.
Allan was offered the production rights of the game show ‘I've Got a Secret’ by television producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. The game, based on Allan’s concept, was first aired on ‘CBS Network’ in 1952.
A debacle occurred on the show, after Allan insisted that the celebrity guest on the show, Tony Curtis, was asked to demonstrate the rules of some games he played as a child. As it turned out Curtis was not familiar with any of the games, the show suffered a huge setback. Allan was then removed as the producer of the show in 1958.
‘Your Surprise Package’ was another game show which Allan produced in the year 1961, for the banner ‘AI Singer Productions’. This daytime game show was hosted by then famous actor and comedian George Fenneman, and was aired on ‘CBS Network’.
Allan’s association with the label ‘Warner Bros. Records’ happened when famous comedian George Burns came across his performance at comedian Harpo Marx’s party, who was Allan’s neighbour. ‘My Son, the Folk Singer’, released in 1962, was his first release under the banner. This collection of parody caught the attention of radio, despite concerns over Allan’s image as a performer.
Following the huge success of ‘My Son, The Folk Singer’, a lot of other artists came up with similar efforts. But none were able to match Allan’s popularity and he remained the undisputed favourite.
The label ’Jubilee records’ released an album titled ‘More Folk Songs by Allan Sherman and His Friends’ in 1962, which featured his single ‘A Satchel and a Seck’ along with works of artistes likes Sylvia Froos, Fyvush Finkel and Lee Tully.
Allan came out with another collection titled ‘My Son, the Celebrity’ in the beginning of 1963, which was an even bigger success. The album also notched the number one spot on the ‘Billboard’s Top 150 Best Selling LPs’ Chart.
In 1963, ‘My Son, the Nut’ became the third straight album to top the billboards. The song ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’ from this collection was a chartbuster and was ranked among the top five novelty songs. The album maintained its top position on music charts for eight consecutive weeks.
His next album, ‘Allan in Wonderland’, released in 1964, came only months after the death of the American president John F. Kennedy. The album failed to reiterate the success story of its predecessors, as the entire nation was mourning the death of the political leader. The album suffered harsh criticism and struggled to secure a spot within the Top 25 on pop charts.
His second album of 1964, recorded in association with conductor Arthur Fiedler and the orchestra troupe ‘Boston Pops’, featured the parodies ‘For Swingin' Livers Only!’ and ‘Peter & the Commissar’. This album fared even poorly as compared to his previous work, and could not even reach the Top 40.
Adding to Allan’s woes, the 1964 parody on ‘My Fair Lady’ remained unreleased after facing heat for copyright issues from its original makers.
Over the course of two years from 1965-1966, he recorded two albums titled ‘My name is Allan’ and ‘Togetherness’. Following the mediocre response drawn by the albums, the label ‘Warner Bros. Records’ called off their contract with Sherman. The comedian also published his autobiography titled ‘A Gift of Laughter’, during this period.
In 1973, Allan published another book titled ‘Rape of the APE’. It was a satirical take on the evolution of sexual revolution in the US.
Major Works
Allan’s 1963 album, ‘My Son, the Nut’ was his most successful work. His spoof ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,’ from the album, themed on a summer camp, maintained the number 2 position on ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart for three weeks.
Awards & Achievements
This comedian was received the prestigious ‘Grammy Award’ in the ‘Best Comedy Performance Single’ in the year 1963 for his track ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’
Personal Life & Legacy
Allan was married to Dee Chackes and the couple had two children. Their son Robert Sherman, born on 9th January, 1950, is a producer of TV series like ‘Tattletales’ and ‘Super Password’.
Dee received the full custody of their children following their divorce in 1966.
Suffering from obesity and diabetes, Allan went to the ‘Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital’ to recuperate. However, his lung ailment added to the complications, and he died ten days before his 49th birthday in his West Hollywood home. He was buried in ‘Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery’ in Culver City, California.
Trivia
It is believed American President John F. Kennedy was a huge fan of this pop humourist’s parodies.
// Famous University Of Illinois
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is a well-known American writer, autistic activist and animal expert. This biography profiles her childhood, life, achievements, career and timeline
Jawed Karim
Jawed Karim is a German-American internet entrepreneur, technologist and co-founder of the video-sharing website, YouTube. Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family, personal life, achievements, age, etc.
Suze Orman
Suze Orman is an American television host, financial advisor, author and motivational speaker, famous for her ‘The Suze Orman Show’ on CNBC. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, works, achievements and timeline.
Allan Sherman's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album | |
Allan Sherman biography timelines
- // 30th Nov 1924Born to Jewish parents Percy Copelon and Rose Sherman in Chicago, on November 30, 1924, Allan Sherman adopted his mother’s maiden name after his parents got divorced. His father was an auto mechanic and a racing driver. Suffering from obesity, father Percy died in a quest to observe a 100-day diet.
- // 9th Jan 1950Allan was married to Dee Chackes and the couple had two children. Their son Robert Sherman, born on 9th January, 1950, is a producer of TV series like ‘Tattletales’ and ‘Super Password’.
- // 1951Allan embarked on his career as a musical humourist in 1951, with the parody ‘A Satchel and a Seck’, disparaging the popular song of the fifties ‘A Bushel and a Peck’. This duet which also featured the artist Sylvia Froos, was recorded by the label ‘Jubilee Records’.
- // 1952Allan was offered the production rights of the game show ‘I've Got a Secret’ by television producers Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. The game, based on Allan’s concept, was first aired on ‘CBS Network’ in 1952.
- // 1958A debacle occurred on the show, after Allan insisted that the celebrity guest on the show, Tony Curtis, was asked to demonstrate the rules of some games he played as a child. As it turned out Curtis was not familiar with any of the games, the show suffered a huge setback. Allan was then removed as the producer of the show in 1958.
- // 1961‘Your Surprise Package’ was another game show which Allan produced in the year 1961, for the banner ‘AI Singer Productions’. This daytime game show was hosted by then famous actor and comedian George Fenneman, and was aired on ‘CBS Network’.
- // 1962Allan’s association with the label ‘Warner Bros. Records’ happened when famous comedian George Burns came across his performance at comedian Harpo Marx’s party, who was Allan’s neighbour. ‘My Son, the Folk Singer’, released in 1962, was his first release under the banner. This collection of parody caught the attention of radio, despite concerns over Allan’s image as a performer.
- // 1962The label ’Jubilee records’ released an album titled ‘More Folk Songs by Allan Sherman and His Friends’ in 1962, which featured his single ‘A Satchel and a Seck’ along with works of artistes likes Sylvia Froos, Fyvush Finkel and Lee Tully.
- // 1963Allan came out with another collection titled ‘My Son, the Celebrity’ in the beginning of 1963, which was an even bigger success. The album also notched the number one spot on the ‘Billboard’s Top 150 Best Selling LPs’ Chart.
- // 1963In 1963, ‘My Son, the Nut’ became the third straight album to top the billboards. The song ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’ from this collection was a chartbuster and was ranked among the top five novelty songs. The album maintained its top position on music charts for eight consecutive weeks.
- // 1963Allan’s 1963 album, ‘My Son, the Nut’ was his most successful work. His spoof ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,’ from the album, themed on a summer camp, maintained the number 2 position on ‘Billboard Hot 100’ chart for three weeks.
- // 1963This comedian was received the prestigious ‘Grammy Award’ in the ‘Best Comedy Performance Single’ in the year 1963 for his track ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh’
- // 1964His next album, ‘Allan in Wonderland’, released in 1964, came only months after the death of the American president John F. Kennedy. The album failed to reiterate the success story of its predecessors, as the entire nation was mourning the death of the political leader. The album suffered harsh criticism and struggled to secure a spot within the Top 25 on pop charts.
- // 1964His second album of 1964, recorded in association with conductor Arthur Fiedler and the orchestra troupe ‘Boston Pops’, featured the parodies ‘For Swingin' Livers Only!’ and ‘Peter & the Commissar’. This album fared even poorly as compared to his previous work, and could not even reach the Top 40.
- // 1964Adding to Allan’s woes, the 1964 parody on ‘My Fair Lady’ remained unreleased after facing heat for copyright issues from its original makers.
- // 1965 To 1966Over the course of two years from 1965-1966, he recorded two albums titled ‘My name is Allan’ and ‘Togetherness’. Following the mediocre response drawn by the albums, the label ‘Warner Bros. Records’ called off their contract with Sherman. The comedian also published his autobiography titled ‘A Gift of Laughter’, during this period.
- // 1966Dee received the full custody of their children following their divorce in 1966.
- // 1973In 1973, Allan published another book titled ‘Rape of the APE’. It was a satirical take on the evolution of sexual revolution in the US.
// Famous Writers
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Christian author and speaker. This biography provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is a well-known American writer, autistic activist and animal expert. This biography profiles her childhood, life, achievements, career and timeline
Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams was one of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century. This biography of Tennessee Williams provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works and timeline.
Charles Bukowski
Charles Bukowski was a German-born American novelist, short story writer and poet. With this biography, learn in details about his childhood, life, works, career and timeline
Susan Sontag
Susan Sontag is an American critical essayist, cultural analyst, novelist, political activist, filmmaker and playwright of international repute. Read on to find out more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline.
Suze Orman
Suze Orman is an American television host, financial advisor, author and motivational speaker, famous for her ‘The Suze Orman Show’ on CNBC. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, works, achievements and timeline.
Allan Sherman's FAQ
What is Allan Sherman birthday?
Allan Sherman was born at 1924-11-30
When was Allan Sherman died?
Allan Sherman was died at 1973-11-20
Where was Allan Sherman died?
Allan Sherman was died in Los Angeles
Which age was Allan Sherman died?
Allan Sherman was died at age 48
Where is Allan Sherman's birth place?
Allan Sherman was born in Chicago
What is Allan Sherman nationalities?
Allan Sherman's nationalities is American
Who is Allan Sherman spouses?
Allan Sherman's spouses is Dee Chackes
Who is Allan Sherman childrens?
Allan Sherman's childrens is Robert Sherman
What was Allan Sherman universities?
Allan Sherman studied at University Of Illinois, Fairfax High School, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
What was Allan Sherman notable alumnis?
Allan Sherman's notable alumnis is University Of Illinois
Who is Allan Sherman's father?
Allan Sherman's father is Percy Copelon
Who is Allan Sherman's mother?
Allan Sherman's mother is Rose Copelon
What is Allan Sherman's sun sign?
Allan Sherman is Sagittarius
How famous is Allan Sherman?
Allan Sherman is famouse as Writer