{{Short description|American songwriter (1899–1966)}} {{More citations needed|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Abner Silver | image = Abner_Silver.jpg | caption = Abner Silver c. 1935 | image_size = | birth_name = Abner Silberman | alias = | birth_date = {{birth date|1899|12|28|mf=y}} | death_date = {{death date and age|1966|11|24|1899|12|28}} | death_place = [[New York City|New York]], [[United States]] | origin = New York City, United States | instrument = | genre = | occupation = [[Composer]] | years_active = | label = | associated_acts = [[Benny Davis]], [[Al Sherman]], [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]] | website = }} '''Abner Silberman''' (28 December 1899 in [[New York City]], New York, United States – 24 November 1966) as [[pen name]] '''Abner Silver''', was an American [[songwriter]] who worked primarily during the [[Tin Pan Alley]] era of the craft.
==Career== Usually composing the music while others handled the lyrics, Silver wrote for half a century, starting with [[World War I]]–era songs such as 1918's "You Can't Blame the Girlies (They All Want to Marry a Soldier)," and continuing through the decades with such classics as 1921's "I'm Going South", 1935's "Chasing Shadows" and 1940's "How Did He Look?" Silver frequently teamed with lyricists [[Benny Davis]], [[Al Sherman]] and [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]]. Between 1931 and 1934, during the last days of [[Vaudeville]], Silver and several of his fellow hitmakers formed a sensational revue called "[[Songwriters on Parade]]", performing all across the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern seaboard]] on the [[Loew]]'s and Keith circuits.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=WEz4Piecy84C&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=RA2-PA19 ''The Billboard'' - ''New Turns and Returns: Abner Silver and Mildred Feeley'', September 18, 1926, p. 19 on Google Books]</ref><ref>[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Unsung_Songwriters/zCMKAQAAMAAJhl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&printsec=frontcover ''The Unsung Songwriters: Americas Masters of Melody'', Vache, Warren. 2000, p. 461 Abner Siver biography on Google Books.com]</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tyler |first=Don |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hSCfBQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA472 |title=Hit Songs, 1900-1955: American Popular Music of the Pre-Rock Era |date=2007-04-16 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-2946-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=OE4g5V5okZ4C&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA2114-IA8 ''The Canadian Patent Office Record and Register of Copyrights'' 1925, p. 2114 Abner Silver on Google Books]</ref><ref>[https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=Abner+Silver&acc=on&wc=on&prq=%22Abner%2BSilver%22&swp=on Abner Silver on JSTOR]</ref>
Silver's songs were covered by virtually every major vocalist of the day, among them [[Al Jolson]], [[Ruth Etting]], [[Jack Leonard (singer)|Jack Leonard]], [[Mildred Bailey]], [[Eddie Cantor]], [[Rudy Vallee]], [[Helen Kane]], [[Kate Smith]], [[Billie Holiday]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[Tony Bennett]], [[Mel Tormé]], [[Eddie Fisher (singer)|Eddie Fisher]], [[Peggy Lee]] and [[Julie London]]. In a later era his songs were sung by [[Elvis Presley]], [[Frankie Lymon]], [[Etta Jones]], [[Johnny Mathis]], [[Brenda Lee]] and [[Dame Shirley Bassey]]. Numerous performers covered what became a country standard, "My Window Is Facing South," including [[Willie Nelson]], [[Vassar Clements]], [[Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen|Commander Cody]] and [[Lyle Lovett]]. Among band leaders who performed tunes composed by Silver were: [[Shep Fields]],<ref>[https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200033326/PBS-026255-An_old_curiosity_shop "An Old Curiosity Shop" - composer Abner Silver recorded by the Shep Fields Orchestra on adp.library.uscb.edu]</ref> [[Django Reinhardt]], [[Louis Prima]], [[Lionel Hampton]] and [[Les McCann]].{{Additional citation needed|date=September 2023}}
In the late 1950s he penned several numbers for [[Elvis Presley on film and television|Elvis Presley to perform in his movies]], including the songs "Young and Beautiful," <ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=lXb_AgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22+-wikipedia&pg=PT159 "The Gospel According to Elvis" - April 30th 1957 Soundtrack Recordings - Young and Beautiful. Gouch, Kevin. 2012 Abner Silver on Google books]</ref> "What's She Really Like?" and "Lover Doll." Sung by [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]], Silver's "[[With These Hands (song)|With These Hands]]" (with lyrics by [[Benny Davis]]) was featured in the movie ''[[Edward Scissorhands]]'', starring [[Johnny Depp]]. His early song "He's So Unusual" was covered by [[Cyndi Lauper]] on her breakout album, the similarly titled ''She's So Unusual.''
Silver died on November 24, 1966, in New York.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=cNtdAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Abner+Silver%22&pg=PA10&article_id=4131,3184338 "Abner Silver Composer Dies", The Washington Observer, Nov. 25, 1966, p. 10 Abner Silver Obituary on Google Books]</ref>
==Partial list of songwriting credits== {{ external media | float = center | width = 250px | audio1 = You may hear Abner Silver's song <br> "An Old Curiosity Shop" played by [[Shep Fields]] with [[Hal Derwin]] and [[John Serry Sr.|John Serry]] in 1938 [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200033326/PBS-026255-An_old_curiosity_shop '''Here''']}} *1921 for the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] show ''[[Bombo (musical)|Bombo]]'', starring [[Al Jolson]], "I'm Going South", with composer [[Harry M. Woods]]. *1927 "Barbara" with [[Billy Rose]] *1928 "Mary Ann", with [[Benny Davis]] *1929 "[[Bashful Baby]]" with [[Cliff Friend]] *1929 "[[Good Morning, Good Evening, Good Night]]" with [[Al Sherman]] and [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]] *1932 "[[Puh-leeze, Mr. Hemingway]]" with [[Walter Kent]] and Milton Drake *1934 "[[The Santa Claus Express]]" with [[Al Sherman]] and [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]] *1935 "Chasing Shadows" with [[Benny Davis]] *1935 "Every Now and Then" with [[Al Sherman]] and [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]] *1935 "[[No! No! A Thousand Times No!!]] with [[Al Sherman]] and [[Al Lewis (lyricist)|Al Lewis]] *1935 "[[On the Beach at Bali-Bali]]" with [[Al Sherman]] and Jack Maskill *1938 "An Old Curiosity Shop" with [[Sam Coslow]] & [[Guy Wood]] as recorded by [[Shep Fields]].<ref>[https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200033326/PBS-026255-An_old_curiosity_shop "Discography of American Historical Recordings" - "An Old Curiosity Shop" Composer Sam Coslow, performers: Shep Fields, Hal Derwin, John Serry on adp.library.ecsb.edu]</ref> *1940 "How Did He Look?" with Gladys Shelley *1950 "With These Hands" with [[Benny Davis]] *1956 "[[Who Can Explain?]]"
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108549 Abner Silver recordings] at the [[Discography of American Historical Recordings]]. {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silver, Abner}} [[Category:Jewish American songwriters]] [[Category:American musical theatre composers]] [[Category:American male musical theatre composers]] [[Category:Songwriters from New York (state)]] [[Category:1899 births]] [[Category:1966 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century American Jews]] [[Category:20th-century American songwriters]] [[Category:20th-century American male composers]]