187:, and soon was winning amateur contests. He was also learning how to play drums from his brother Harold, and began playing for $ 1.50/night at a local brothel. As he tired of carrying the drums back and forth though, he decided to switch back to piano as it was easier, and resumed his lessons. His skills continued to improve, and by the age of 17 he had worked his way up to earning $ 15/week, playing at clubs such as Shadowland, and developing an affinity for
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163:, and used his seven-year-old son Al as a courier for payments. It was a rough neighborhood with regular mob wars between rival gangsters, multiple killings on Lerner's street, and payoffs to the local police. Abe Lerner was eventually arrested and the still business was shut down, after which the family went broke.
351:, with his wife, Jonne. He has two children by his first marriage. Al Lerner died January 19, 2014, from Prostate Cancer at Eisenhower Hospital in Rancho Mirage, CA. He was 94. At the time of his death he was the sole surviving member of the Harry James Orchestra of the early 1940s.
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the other. With a steady job, Lerner proposed to his
Cleveland girlfriend, Ruth Levkovitz, and they married on June 15, 1941, and settled in New York, though Lerner spent much of his time on the road with the band, doing 50 and 60 one-night-stands at a time.
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As a child, Lerner helped to bring in money by climbing onto tables in local saloons and singing songs such as "All Alone by the
Telephone", and then collecting coins thrown by the patrons. He then took piano lessons at a convent next to
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radio program, after which the Harry James Band was chosen. This meant a major increase in salary for Lerner, up to $ 75/week. With the exposure on the radio show, the band also began getting work in the film industry, such as in
344:. In 1961, he composed the music for "So Until I See You", with lyrics by Victor Gari Corpora. The music was used as the closing theme of the Jack Paar Show. It was recorded by singer David Lucas for Arwin Records.
273:. The band got more attention, and was regularly on the move, from New York to Los Angeles and back again. It was during this time that Lerner began composing, such as writing an instrumental with Harry James, "
228:, who invited Lerner to join his band in New York. There, Lerner discovered that James wanted to have an unheard-of two pianos in his band, with Lerner playing one, and
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Lerner was born on April 7, 1919, in
Cleveland, the youngest of three children. Their father Abraham had died on November 11, 1918, before Al's birth, a victim of the
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at a
Cleveland Club, and was "blown away" by the man's skill as a jazz player. Lerner then traveled in search of work, going to
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Lerner's first wife, Ruth
Levkovitz Lerner, died in 1986. In 1991 he remarried, and as of 2014, Lerner was living in
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103:(1919 – January 19, 2014) was an American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor from the
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banning the sale of alcohol, Abe Lerner used his metalworking abilities on the side to make
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in New York, Lerner and Bolger would do a "challenge" tap dance as part of the show. When
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band for many years, playing piano. He wrote music for several artists, including
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http://www.suneditwrite.com/screenplays_poetry/sew07_nonfiction3_photos_lern.pdf
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Composer, arranger, and pianist, "Jump Sauce", performed by the Harry James band
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119:. He also wrote the music for "So Until I See You", the closing theme for
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Over the course of his career, Lerner worked with many artists from the
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1989, co-executive producer for TV special "Glenn Miller Band
Reunion"
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Conductor and
Arranger of "My Son the Box", performed by humorist
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http://www.jazzconnectionmag.com/remembering_martha_tilton.htm
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enlisted in the Army, his band was not able to perform on the
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224:. When he returned to the United States, he got a call from
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Other works as part of "Harry James and His Music Makers"
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Composer, "So Until I See You", closing theme for the
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773:The Andrews Sisters: a biography and career record
584:The life of Dick Haymes: no more little white lies
316:band at the Paramount Theater in 1940, featuring
246:) was a featured act with the James band at the
94:Big band pianist, musical director, and composer
804:McLellan, Dennis (December 14, 2006). "Liltin'
214:but the job fell through, so he then went to
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340:. Lyricists that he has worked with include
125:in the early 1960s, and was the pianist for
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753:"TV special: Glenn Miller Band Reunion".
713:. Bear Manor Media. 2007. Archived from
530:"Al Lerner's Obituary by The Desert Sun"
44:Al Lerner on the cover of his 2007 book
634:. Songs for Film and TV. Archived from
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48:. He is playing piano, with bandleader
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206:Lerner was introduced to jazz pianist
19:For the musical theatre composer, see
685:"Tonight: The Jack Paar Tonight Show"
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919:John Adams High School (Ohio) alumni
914:20th-century American male musicians
691:from the original on June 23, 2011
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563:from the original on June 6, 2011
557:Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
446:Original music in the 1944 film
338:Variety Artistes Benevolent Fund
179:, he decided he wanted to learn
904:20th-century American composers
588:University Press of Mississippi
551:Colombi, Chris; Mosbrook, Joe.
122:The Tonight Show with Jack Paar
899:20th-century American pianists
433:Some music on the 2007 series
419:"Torchin" (with Frankie Laine)
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817:ASCAP Biographical Dictionary
894:Glenville High School alumni
107:era. He was a member of the
191:by listening to records by
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808:, 91, Big-Band Vocalist".
364:, soundtrack for the film
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835:http://www.oac.cdlib.org/
737:A Tribute to Eddie Duchin
326:Royal Command Performance
324:, and was conductor at a
270:Springtime in the Rockies
127:A Tribute to Eddie Duchin
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889:Musicians from Cleveland
840:Interview with Al Lerner
412:"Only If We Love" (with
240:(later the Scarecrow in
884:American male composers
362:Tribute to Eddie Duchin
349:Palm Desert, California
336:, in a benefit for the
909:American male pianists
582:Prigozy, Ruth (2006).
510:David Lucas (composer)
375:Jack Paar Tonight Show
288:era of music, such as
197:John Adams High School
771:Nimmo, Harry (2004).
717:on September 12, 2011
687:. classicthemes.com.
367:The Eddy Duchin Story
312:. He played with the
201:Glenville High School
132:The Eddy Duchin Story
632:"Artists: Al Lerner"
474:Music for 2007 film
149:American Prohibition
486:Music in 1942 film
422:Music in 1942 film
401:Sentimental Journey
320:, has performed at
169:St. Anne's Hospital
157:Cleveland gangsters
377:in the early 1960s
183:, so studied with
810:Los Angeles Times
786:978-0-7864-1731-5
673:978-1-59393-080-6
638:on August 7, 2011
597:978-1-57806-551-6
458:Music for 1953's
425:Give Out, Sisters
257:Chesterfield Hour
248:Paramount Theatre
145:1918 flu pandemic
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640:. Retrieved
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532:. Legacy.com
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505:Eddie Duchin
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477:Married Life
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393:" (1957) by
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294:Tommy Dorsey
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84:(2014-01-19)
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879:2014 deaths
874:1919 births
711:"Al Lerner"
614:|work=
466:Dick Haymes
441:Glenn Close
439:, starring
403:", sung by
314:Harry James
279:Dick Haymes
226:Harry James
212:Miami Beach
181:tap dancing
161:bootleggers
109:Harry James
52:looking on.
50:Harry James
868:Categories
516:References
461:All Ashore
399:Pianist, "
238:Ray Bolger
193:Earl Hines
64:1919-04-07
855:Al Lerner
777:McFarland
616:ignored (
606:cite book
360:Pianist,
310:Pat Boone
306:Kay Starr
208:Art Tatum
185:Roy Lewis
139:Biography
101:Al Lerner
32:Al Lerner
859:AllMusic
721:July 18,
695:July 18,
689:Archived
667:, 2007,
642:July 18,
567:July 18,
561:Archived
536:March 5,
499:See also
318:Bea Wain
286:Big Band
221:The Cuba
105:big band
757:. 1989.
742:Discogs
464:, with
436:Damages
391:Rockin'
175:at the
783:
671:
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553:"Jazz"
370:, 1957
308:, and
216:Havana
153:stills
480:with
452:with
781:ISBN
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697:2011
669:ISBN
644:2011
618:help
592:ISBN
569:2011
538:2014
468:and
328:for
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189:jazz
159:and
155:for
115:and
79:Died
58:Born
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