Allan Sherman was born Allan Copolon in Chicago, Illinois on November 30, 1924. He started off in show business as a scriptwriter for Jackie Gleason among others. His first recording as a musical performer came in 1951 with the song "A Satchel And A Seck", which didn't do very well. He then turned to television, creating and producing the long running quiz show "I've Got A Secret". He then became the writer and producer of "The Tonight Show" starring Steve Allen untill 1961.

At this point in his career, Sherman decided to take another stab at performing, signing a record contract with Warner Brothers Records and releasing his first album, "My Son, The Folk Singer" in early 1962. On the strength of the single "Sarah Jackman" (sung to the tune of "Frere Jacques"), the album shot up to the number one spot on the Billboard charts. He followed that album up with another number one album, "My Son, The Celebrity", in late 1962.

In 1963, Sherman released his third and biggest selling album, "My Son, The Nut" featuring the top five hit "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh". "My Son, The Nut" would wind up staying at the top of the charts for eight consecutive weeks. At this point, Sherman had reached his commercial peak. His fourth album, "Sherman In Wonderland", wound wind up only reaching #25 on the charts in 1964. His next two albums, "Swinging Livers Only" and "Peter And The Commissar" didn't even break the top #40 on the Billboard charts. Despite his witty parodies, his last charting album, "My Name Is Allan", only got as high as #88 in 1965. After his next two albums, "Allan Sherman Live" and "Togetherness" in 1966, Warner Brothers dropped him from the record label.

Sherman published his autobiography titled "A Gift Of Laughter" in 1966.. His book, "The Rape Of The A.P.E. (American Puritanical Ethic)", was published in 1973 and reflected Sherman's view of human behavioral absurdities. "A.P.E." would wind up being Sherman's last published work and a much sought after literary classic. Sherman's health progressively got worse over the years, developing into emphysema. Allan Sherman died in California on November 21, 1973 at the age of 48.

Sherman's music lives on thanks to novelty record radio deejays such as Dr. Demento who still play his parodies on radio shows today. Sherman has been mentioned by "Weird Al" Yankovic as one of his biggest musical influences. Hail to thee, Allan Sherman!

Check Out These Allan Sherman Web Site Links On The Internet: