Jack Selig Yellen (Jacek Jelen) (July 6, 1892 – April 17, 1991) was an American-Polish lyricist and screenwriter.
Born in Poland, Yellen emigrated with his family to the United States when he was five years old. He grew up in Buffalo, New York and began writing songs in high school. He graduated with honors from the University of Michigan in 1913 and after graduating became a reporter for the Buffalo Courier, continuing to write songs on the side.
Yellen’s first collaborator on a song was George L. Cobb, with whom he wrote a number of Dixie songs including “Alabama Jubilee,” “Are You From Dixie?,” and “All Aboard for Dixieland.” He is best remembered for his collaboration with composer Milton Ager. He and Ager entered the music publishing business as part owners of the Ager-Yellen-Bernstein Music Company. Yellen also worked with many other composers such as Sammy Fain and Harold Arlen.
Yellen’s collaboration with vaudeville star, Sophie Tucker, for whom he was retained to write special material, produced one of Tucker’s most well known songs, “My Yiddishe Momme,” a song in English with some Yiddish text. Yellen wrote the lyrics which were set to music by Lew Pollack.[1]
Yellen wrote the lyrics to more than 200 popular songs of the early 20th century. Two of his most recognized songs, still popular in the 21st century, are “Happy Days Are Here Again” and “Ain’t She Sweet.”
Yellen’s screenwriting credits included George White’s Scandals, Pigskin Parade, Little Miss Broadway, and Submarine Patrol.
Yellen was on the board of ASCAP from 1951 to 1969. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1996.
He died in Concord, New York, aged 98.
26 Songs Composed by Jack Yellen
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A Yiddishe Mame3:25
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A Yiddishe Mame3:12
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A Yiddishe Mame4:46
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A Yiddishe Mame3:31
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A Yiddishe Mame4:44
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A Yiddishe Mame5:22
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A Yiddishe Mame3:10
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A Yiddishe Mame3:31
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A Yiddishe Mame3:25
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A Yiddishe Mame4:17
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A Yiddishe Mame2:24
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A Yiddishe Mame4:08
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A Yiddishe Mame3:32
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A Yiddishe Mame4:34
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A Yiddishe Mame3:49
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Mayn Mames Shabes Likht3:59
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Mayn Mames Shabes Likht4:40
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Mayn Mames Shabes Likht4:40
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Sholem Aleikhem4:25
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Sholem Aleikhem0:40
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Sholem Aleikhem2:15
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Sholem Aleikhem2:16
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Sholem Aleikhem2:13
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Sholem Aleikhem1:57
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Sholem Aleikhem6:12
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Vi Ahin Zol Ikh Gheih - A Yiddishe Mame3:36
12 thoughts on “Kaminos”
Was Nicholas related to Alexander Saslavsky who married Celeste Izolee Todd?
Anyone have a contact email for Yair Klinger or link to score for Ha-Bayta?
wish to have homeland concert video played on the big screen throughout North America.
can organize here in Santa Barbara California.
contacts for this needed and any ideas or suggestions welcomed.
Nat farber is my great grandpa ๐
Are there any movies or photos of max kletter? His wifeโs sister was my stepmother, so Iโm interested in seeing them and sharing them with his wifeโs daughter.
The article says Sheb recorded his last song just 4 days before he died, but does not tell us the name of it. I be curious what it was. Iโd like to hear it.
Would anyone happen to know where I can find a copy of the sheet music for a Gil Aldema Choral (SATB) arrangement for Naomi Shemerโs โSheleg Al Iriโ. (Snow on my Village)?
Joseph Smith
Kol Ram Community Choir, NYC
Shalom Joseph. I just saw your 2024 post by chance… I’m a mostly-retired Israeli journalist and translator. In 2003 I translated into English the content (the objective was to remain true to the meaning, not to cadence or rhyme) of poems and lyrics of 48 of Israel’s most iconic songs arranged by Aldema for choirs abroad singing in Hebrew (the words in the scores are transliterated) but members of the choir lack mastery of Hebrew to ‘know’ exactly what they are saying/singing… The book was titled in English “A Merry Choir” – in Hebrew ืืงืืื ืขืืืื . See if you can find a copy in a used book store, it is priceless and apparently out-of-print – well worth the search. If not, they may have a copy at Tel Aviv Amenu Museum’s music department – write them and see if they can send it to you. Or – if you will contact me via Whatsapp – (972) 546872768 or via my email – I will try and find the book (it is not where it ‘should be’ so I have to search) and I will photograph the score with my cell and send to you as an attachment. Best, Daniella Ashkenazy – Kfar Warburg.
ืฉืืื ืฉืืขืื!
ืื ืฉืืืชื ืืืชื. ืขืืืชื ืืช ืืฉืจืื ืืคืืจืืืจ 1998 ืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืื ื ืืืืืืกื ืืงืื ืืช ืืขืืจื ืืืงืฆืืขืืช ืฉืื ืืืืชื ืงืืืืช ืื ืืืฉืจืื. ืื ืกืืคืืจ ืืืื ืขืฆืื ืืืจืื, ืืื ืื ื ืืืืชื ืืืืื ืขื ืืืฆืื ืฉืืืื ืืืชื ืืืืืชื ืืืจื ืืืื ืืฉืืืื ืืืฉื ืืืืฉื ืืืืฉืื. ืืื ืืื ืื ืื 9. ืืขืช ืืื ืื 36 ืืืชืคืงื ืืืืคื ืขืฆืืื. ื ืชืชื ืื ืืืืื ืืช ืืขืชืื ื ืืจืืื. ืืื, ืืืืช ืืืื ืืจื, ืืืืจืื ืืคืืื ืฆืืืช, ืืื ืืืื ืฆืจืืืื ืืขืืื ืืืืจืืช ืืืืืืื ืจืืื!
ืืฉื ืงืื ื
(Maurice King)
Thank you for this wonderful remembrance of Herman Zalis. My late father, Henry Wahrman, was one of his students. Note the correct spelling of his name for future reference. Thank you again for sharing this.
Tirza Wahrman (Mitlak)
amazing zchuso yagein aleinu, he wrote the famous niggun Lefichuch that is sung in almost every Israeli Yeshiva
My grandmother, Rose Ziperson, wrote the words to his music for a song called Main Shtetele, which he produced. I have the sheet music!