Al Goodman

{{Infobox musical artist | name = Al Goodman | image = Al Goodman 1938.JPG | image_upright = | image_size = | landscape =  | alt = | caption = Goodman in 1938 | native_name = {{nobold|Ал Гудман}} | native_name_lang = Russian | birth_name = | alias = Alfred Goodman | birth_date = {{Birth date|1890|08|12}} | birth_place = Nikopol, Russian Empire <br />(present-day Nikopol, Ukraine) | origin = | death_date = {{Death date and age|1972|01|10|1890|08|12}} | death_place = New York City, USA | genre = Musical | occupation = musical director | instrument = | years_active = 1907–1960s | label = RCA Victor; Columbia | associated_acts = | website =  | module = | module2 = | module3 = }} '''Alfred Goodman'''<ref name="who">{{cite news |title=Who's Who on the Stage |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/103594176 |access-date=January 22, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=May 10, 1925 |page=X 2|id={{ProQuest|103594176}} }}</ref> (August 12, 1890 – January 10, 1972) was a conductor, songwriter, stage composer, musical director, arranger, and pianist.

==Early years== Goodman was born in Nikopol, Ukraine,{{Citation needed |date=January 2021}} (another source says that he was born in Odessa, Ukraine).<ref name=who/> His father, Tobias Goodman,<ref name=":0">{{cite news |last1=Spiegel |first1=Irving |title=Of Al (Not B.) Goodman |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/106969666 |access-date=January 22, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=October 15, 1944 |page=X 7|id={{ProQuest|106969666}} }}</ref> was a cantor in a synagogue in Odessa. Goodman sang in a choir when he was 5 years old<ref name="cc">{{cite book |last1=Musiker |first1=Naomi |last2=Musiker |first2=Reuben |title=Conductors and Composers of Popular Orchestral Music: A Biographical and Discographical Sourcebook |year= 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-91777-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CH3sAgAAQBAJ&q=%22Al+Goodman%22+music&pg=PT117 |access-date=January 22, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> and had become fluent in reading music by age 6. When he was about 7, the family left Russia to escape a pogrom. Disguised as farmers, they made their way to Romania. There they lost their money but escaped to the United States and settled in Baltimore. Goodman graduated from Baltimore City College and the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. He earned money by playing piano for films at the Pickwick Theatre in Baltimore.<ref name="who" />

==Career== Goodman worked as a musician in a nickelodeon and chorus boy in one of the Milton Aborn's operettas.<ref name=":0" /> Before he was 20, Goodman began working in Chicago as orchestrator for M. Witmark & Sons, a music publishing company. He moved to Los Angeles, where he began conducting in addition to composing and arranging. There, he met Al Jolson, which led to his going to New York to become Jolson's conductor.<ref name="who" />

Goodman was first introduced to musical comedy by the late Earl Carroll, who persuaded him to collaborate in producing his musical, ''So Long Letty''. The success, followed by the hit "Sinbad,"<ref name=":0" /> which he produced with Al Jolson, led to positions as orchestra conductor for many Broadway productions including the highly successful ''Flyin' High'', ''The Student Prince'', and ''Blossom Time''. In all, during this period of his career, Goodman directed over 150 first-night performances and became one of the Great White Way's most popular conductors.{{Citation needed |date=January 2021}} He debuted as a musical director on Broadway with ''Canary Cottage'' (1917), and his final Broadway production was ''Hold on to Your Hats'' (1940).<ref>{{cite web |title=Al Goodman |url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/al-goodman-3927 |website=Internet Broadway Database |publisher=The Broadway League |access-date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112080321/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/al-goodman-3927 |archive-date=January 12, 2021}}</ref>

He was in such demand that it was not uncommon for him to conduct the orchestra of a show for the first few performances, and then hand the baton over to another while he prepared for a new production. In addition to his many assignments as one of RCA Victor's most talented conductors and arrangers, Goodman was kept busy directing the music for radio network shows.

Programs on which he worked included ''Al Goodman's Musical Album'' (1951–1953),<ref name="rp">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Radio Programs, 1924–1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows|date=1999|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc.|isbn=978-0-7864-4513-4|page=19}}</ref> ''The Bob Hope Show'',{{r|rp|page1=47–48}} ''The Family Hour'',{{r|rp|page1=113–114}} ''The Fred Allen Show'' (1945–1949),{{r|rp|page1=121–122}} ''The Gulf Show'',{{r|rp|page1=141}} ''Hit the Jackpot'',{{r|rp|page1=152}} ''The Intimate Revue'',{{r|rp|page1=164}} ''The James Melton Show'',{{r|rp|page1=171}} ''Palmolive Beauty Box Theater'' (1935–1937),{{r|rp|page1=264}} ''The Prudential Family Hour'',{{r|rp|page1=276–277}} ''Showboat'',{{r|rp|page1=303}} ''Texaco Star Theater'',{{r|rp|page1=328–329}} ''Your Hit Parade'' (1935–1938),{{r|rp|page1=362}} and ''The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air'' (1932),{{r|rp|page1=364}}

On television, Goodman worked on ''Colgate Comedy Hour'',<ref name="etvs">{{cite book|last1=Terrace|first1=Vincent|title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010|date=2011|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=199|edition=2nd}}</ref> ''The Donald O'Connor Show'',{{r|etvs|page1=276}} ''Fireball Fun for All'',{{r|etvs|page1=343}} and ''Sound Off Time''.{{r|etvs|page1=996}}

Goodman wrote some memorable songs such as "When Hearts Are Young", "Call of Love" and "Twilight". He also worked on several musicals such as ''The Band Wagon'', ''Good News'' and ''Ziegfeld Follies''.

==Personal life and death== Goodman was married to Fannie Sneidman.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mrs. Al Goodman |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/115271292 |access-date=January 22, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=October 15, 1961 |page=88|id={{ProQuest|115271292}} }}</ref> He died in New York City.

==References== {{reflist}} * Book: ''Broadway: An Encyclopedia'', by Ken Bloom

==External links== * http://www.playbill.com/person/detail/813/al-goodman * {{IBDB name|3927|Al Goodman}} * {{IMDb name|0328998|Al Goodman}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goodman, Al}} Category:1890 births Category:1972 deaths Category:Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Category:Jewish American musicians Category:RCA Victor artists Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Baltimore City College alumni Category:20th-century conductors (music) Category:Songwriters from New York (state) Category:20th-century American composers Category:20th-century American male composers Category:20th-century American Jews Category:20th-century American songwriters

Al Goodman

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