Arthur Hamilton, the gifted songwriter best known for the classic jazz ballad “Cry Me a River,” died on May 20th. He claims to have never heard the phrase “cry me a river”; it just came to him as a better retort than established alternatives. The song was intended for Ella Fitzgerald in Pete Kelly’s Blues but it would be the Julie London version that would chart and secure the phrase in the American lexicon.
He also penned “Sing a Rainbow” and “He Needs Me,” both performed by Peggy Lee, with “Sing a Rainbow” establishing itself in children’s music; other compositions, such as “Poor Ev’rybody Else,” “Zero Hour,” and “Lady Blue,” were recorded by artists like Peggy King and Julie London. He also wrote several numbers for the I love Lucy show.
Joe Bebco is the Associate Editor of The Syncopated Times and Webmaster of SyncopatedTimes.com
