Sherman Edwards

Sherman Edwards (April 3, 1919 – March 30, 1981) was an American composer, lyricist, book writer, jazz pianist, and songwriter born in the East Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Though he grew up in the Weequahic section of Newark, New Jersey, where he attended Weequahic High School, he is most closely associated with the Broadway musical 1776, for which he wrote the original book, music, and lyrics. He lived in Parsippany, New Jersey from 1958 until his death in 1981.

Edwards studied history at New York University, supplementing his education by playing jazz piano for late-night radio and music programs. Following his service in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, he taught high school history briefly before returning to music full time. His work as a pianist brought him into contact with some of the most prominent figures in swing, among them Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman. He subsequently spent several years as a bandleader and arranger for singer Mindy Carson before transitioning to songwriting at the Brill Building, where his collaborators included Hal David, Burt Bacharach, Sid Wayne, and Earl Shuman.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Edwards produced a string of notable pop hits. Among them were "Wonderful! Wonderful!" (lyrics by Ben Raleigh), a 1957 success for Johnny Mathis; "Dungaree Doll" (lyrics by Ben Raleigh), a 1955 hit for Eddie Fisher; "Broken Hearted Melody" (lyrics by Hal David), a 1959 hit for Sarah Vaughan; "Johnny Get Angry" (lyrics by Hal David), a 1962 hit for Joanie Sommers; and "See You in September" (lyrics by Sid Wayne), a hit for The Tempos in 1959 and for The Happenings in 1966. He also wrote "Flaming Star" (lyrics by Sid Wayne), the theme song for the 1960 Elvis Presley film of the same name, and "For Heaven's Sake," recorded by Billie Holiday on her 1958 album Lady in Satin. His experience writing for Presley proved to be a turning point: Presley's manager required songwriters to accept significant monetary concessions in exchange for having their material recorded, a condition that prompted Edwards to abandon pop and rock songwriting entirely. According to collaborator Earl Shuman, Edwards abruptly left a writing session at the Brill Building one day, stating that he was no longer interested in rock songs and had an idea for a show he intended to develop. That decision marked the beginning of 1776.

Before 1776 reached Broadway, Edwards contributed incidental music to the stage comedy A Mighty Man is He, which opened at the Cort Theatre on January 6, 1960, and closed after five performances. He also composed the score for a children's musical, Who's Afraid of Mother Goose?, with lyrics by Ruth Batchelor. The one-hour production aired on ABC-TV on October 13, 1967, and starred Maureen O'Hara, with appearances by Frankie Avalon, Nancy Sinatra, Margaret Hamilton, Dick Shawn, Peter Gennaro, and Dan Rowan and Dick Martin.

1776, for which Peter Stone later rewrote the book, depicts the deliberations of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The show opened at the 46th Street Theatre on March 16, 1969, and ran for 1,217 performances, winning the Tony Award for Best Musical. The 1972 film adaptation retained all of Edwards' songs, though "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men," a number contrasting the right-leaning South with the left-leaning North, was cut after the film's initial reserved-seat road showings and was also omitted from the first VHS release. The song was later restored for cable television broadcasts and the DVD release.

Edwards was married to Ingrid (Secretan) Edwards, a dancer who performed with the original Ed Sullivan dancers and appeared on Broadway in Sweethearts, Annie Get Your Gun, and Kiss Me, Kate. He died of a heart attack in Manhattan on March 30, 1981, at the age of 61, and was interred at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. He was survived by his wife, Ingrid; his son, Keith; his daughter, Valerie; and his mother, Rae Edwards.