The Genius of Allan Sherman

Allan Sherman is an often forgotten name in American comedy, but you might still recognize his work. Most famous for his song parodies, Sherman scored legitimate chart success with his novelty hit “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah” which stayed at the billboard #2 spot for three weeks behind none other than the Beatles. Sherman had a string of hit albums in the 1960s, beginning with My Son, The Folk Singer, finding a rhythm with My Son, The Celebrity, and ending with My Son, The Nut. Legend has it that credit for his success is owed to none other than president John F. Kennedy who was spotted singing one of Sherman’s parodies in a New York Hotel. However, Kennedy can also be credited with Shermans decline in popularity, as his assassination pulled a morose blanket over the nation and killed any demand for Allan’s light-hearted parodies.

Allan Capelon was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1924 to working class Jewish parents. Allan’s father, like son, was morbidly obese during his life and eventually succame to his illness during a 100 day diet. Allan took his mother’s maiden name, Sherman, as they moved around the country until he finally attended college at the University of Illinois, where he would contribute a humor column and be expelled for vandalising a frat house.

Sherman moved to LA, where he found work producing game shows until he was fired in 1958 for leaving the host of I’ve Got A Secret without a script for seven minutes of air time, in which Allan was berated live on air for his mistake. Out of work, he reconfigured his career by releasing a gimmick record of song parodies titled My Son, The Folk Singer. Apparently this was arranged at a party thrown by Harpo Marx, where an attendee heard Sherman sing and phoned a Warner Brothers executive. The record sold over a million copies and was awarded a gold disc.

Following up his success were two more previously stated records, but the next step for Sherman was an all Jewish remake of My Fair Lady. This rendition fell flat after the estate of Irving Berlin resisted the production of any satire or parody whatsoever. In the time it took to realize this information, President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated, and demand for Sherman’s light hearted parodies quickly dried up. Over the next (and last) decade of his life, Allan would release six more albums to varying success, and…

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