Joel Herron was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 16, 1916 and died in Charleston, South Carolina on January 30, 2012, living to be 96 years old.ย ย He graduated from Hyde Park High School in Chicago and attended the University of Chicago from 1933-1935.ย ย He had two marriages, the first to Gertrude Meyer a model and mother of surviving children, Roark Herron and Lamaย Ji.ย ย His second and late wife was Geraldine Hamburg, a former Chicago Quiz Kid, Julliard graduate, who appeared in the original Broadway production of โThe King and Iโ withย Yulย Brenner as well as singing in operas conducted by Toscanini and Stravinsky.
Joel Herron was the notable songwriter (he wrote the music and Jack Wolfe and Frank Sinatra created the lyrics) of โIโm a Fool to Want Youโ that has been subsequently recorded by Billie Holiday, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, Linda Ronstadt, Shirleyย Bassey, Tony Bennett, Donald Byrd, and others.ย ย It was his โhitโ.ย ย In addition, Joel was a composer, arranger, conductor, and author, and copyrighted 118 works (list attached). His stage scores include โGo Fight City Hallโ and he wrote a number of musical themes for various musical commercials, as well as aย recording performed by Roberta Flack (โCream Smooth Jazzโ forย Manischewitzย wine).
He was the Musical Director at WMGM between 1946 and 1956 for โMGM Theatre of the Airโ, โMGM Musical Comedy Theatre of the Airโ, the U.S. Treasury program โGuest Starโ, and the Janeย Fromanย Show.ย ย Joel was also the conductor for the Jimmy Dean Show that aired on WCBS TV in the mid 1950โs and orchestra leader on theย Jayeย P. Morgan Show.ย ย In addition, he worked closely with Johnny Mandel (whom he mentored early on), Hansย Conriedย (in creating the album โMonster Rallyโ), Morey Amsterdam (on WMGM), Buckyย Pizzarelliย (on several pieces), and was a dear friend of Jimmy Dean.ย ย He also toured a bit with Janeย Fromanย who sought his talents on the piano and as band leader. Joel Herron conducted his orchestra in night clubs and hotels (mostly in the NYC area where he lived most his adult life), and was notably the band leader at the famous Copacabana Club and Persian Room at the Plaza Hotel in NYC for a short period in the 1950s and traveled as band leader with the Barry Sisters on a play tour in Israel in 1962.
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!