November's guest, Jack Lawrence with Host Ed Shenaphy and NYSMS President, Linda Amiel Burns

 Jack Lawrence

92 year-old legendary composer of Tenderly, Linda, Symphony, If I didn't Care and many other hits.  He has a book titled "They All Sang My Songs."

The afternoon was hosted by one of our outstanding members... Ed Shanaphy, Editor in Chief of Sheet Music Magazine.

We were very fortunate to have Ed Shanaphy as host for Jack Lawrence's brilliant appearance at our November meeting.  Not only did he line up a fabulous group of talent to present Jack's songs (Steve Ross, John Wallowitch, Kathleen Landis and Nancy McGraw), he also introduced a new song - Tell Me (the Words You Never Told Me) and Jack sang it.  He also sang his arguably most famous song, Linda.  Landis played and sang what is arguably his most famous song (All or Nothing at All) as well as one I didn't know he had written (The Johnson Rag.)  Then John Wallowitch sang what is also arguable his most famous song (Tenderly).  Steve Ross sang one of Jack's newer songs, In Praise of Older Women, and accompanied Nancy McGraw when she sang Everything I Want, from "I Had a Ball".  But as wonderful as all the songs and singers, it was Jack who was the hit of the afternoon, talking about his new book.  It's hard to believe that neither Linda nor Tenderly were not snapped up instantly by music publishers, but now we know that they were not.  Imagine!  And how Tenderly saved Rosemary Clooney from another ten years of novelty songs at Columbia Records.  But, you didn't have to have to have been there to find out what Jack Lawrence said: read his book!!