Fritz Spielmann (composer)

Fritz Spielmann (20 November 190621 March 1997) was an Austrian composer, pianist, singer and cabaret artist. As an émigré in America from 1939 he composed under the name Fred Spielman. Early life Born in Vienna, Spielmann began studying piano and composition the Vienna Academy of Music from 1918, where his teachers included Joseph Marx and Hans Gál. He worked as an accompanist and conductor in Berlin and Breslau, and from 1931 he was one of the founders of the literary cabaret Der Liebe Augustin with Stella Kadmon. He became well known as a cabaret pianist and entertainer, mixing jazz and Viennese song. From 1934 until 1937 he formed a song-writing team with Stephan Weiss (1899-1989). The song ‘Schinkenfleckerln!’, taken up by Hermann Leopoldi was one of their biggest successes. Following the Anschluss he emigrated from Vienna to Paris in May 1938 - while most of his family fell victim to the Nazis. The following year he moved to New York and began working with fellow exiles Leopoldi and lyricist Jimmy Berg (1909-1988), changing his given name to Fred. America Written with Kermit Goell, Spielmann’s song ‘Shepherd Serenade’ was recorded by Bing Crosby, selling over a million copies