Sunny Skylar

Sunny Skylar

Sunny Skylar (October 11, 1913 – February 2, 2009) was an American composer, singer, lyricist, and music publisher. He was born Selig Sidney Shaftel in Brooklyn, New York, one of four children, to Sarah and Jacob Shaftel (or Schaftel), Jewish immigrants from Russia. His father sold knit goods. In the 1940s, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was a headliner at hotels such as The Flamingo and the El Rancho, among others. As a singer, he appeared with a number of big bands, including those led by Ben Bernie, Paul Whiteman, Abe Lyman, George Hall and Vincent Lopez. It was Lopez who changed the singer's professional name from Sonny Schuyler to Sunny Skylar. After the end of the big band era, Skylar continued to sing in nightclubs and theaters until 1952. He was married four times: Joyce Coleman, 1942, Manhattan, NY; Christine Belanger, 1969, Las Vegas, NV (divorced, 1971); Jari Dee Rheinick, 1974, Las Vegas, NV (divorced after one month); Jacqueline Marlene Williams Trent, 1979, Las Vegas, NV; to whom he remained married until her death in 2008). He died in Las Vegas on February 2, 2009 and was buried in Davis Memorial Park, Las Vegas. His grave marker shows his name as Sunny Skylar.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 11, 1913 (Brooklyn), Died February 2, 2009 (Las Vegas)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1940 - 1955

Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter, composer, lyricist, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 1-25 of 29 records)

Company	Matrix No.	Size	First Recording Date	Title	Primary Performer	Description	Role
Victor	PBS-042538	10-in.	2/24/1940	How did I know	Vincent Lopez ; Sunny Skylar ; Suave Swing Orchestra	Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo	vocalist
Victor	BS-075660	10-in.	12/8/1942	Move it over	Ethel Merman	Female vocal solo, with male vocal quintet	composer
Victor	E0VB-3649	10-in.	5/19/1950	Little Liza Lou	Spade Cooley ; Hal Derwin ; Spade Cooley Orchestra	Male vocal solo, with vocal quartet and instrumental ensemble	composer
Victor	D5VB-0026	10-in.	1/8/1945	I miss your kiss	Kaydets ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye ; Billy Williams [1913-2001]	Male vocal solo, with female vocal quintet and jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D5VB-0050	10-in.	1/22/1945	Bottoms up (a clap hands song)	Kaye Choir ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye	Vocal chorus, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D5VB-0297	10-in.	6/11/1945	Gotta be this or that	Kaye Choir ; Nancy Norman ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye	Female vocal solo, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance	composer
Victor	D5VB-0595	10-in.	9/5/1945	Are these really mine?	Norton Sisters ; Vaughn Monroe's Orchestra	Male vocal solo, with female vocal group and jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D5VB-0806	10-in.	10/25/1945	Put that ring on my finger	Meredith Blake ; New Music [Shep Fields] ; Bob Stewart	Female-male vocal duet, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D5VB-0821	10-in.	11/5/1945	Amor	Dick Leibert	Instrumental ensemble, with oboe solo	lyricist
Victor	D5VB-1310	10-in.	12/20/1945	Don't you remember me?	Johnny Desmond ; Russ Case Orchestra	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	lyricist
Victor	D5VB-1313	10-in.	12/22/1945	Atlanta, GA.	Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye ; Billy Williams [1913-2001]	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-1566	10-in.	1/15/1946	A little consideration	Helen Carroll ; Russ Case Orchestra ; The Satisfiers	Female vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble	composer
Victor	D6VB-1567	10-in.	1/15/1946	Love is so terrific (Ouch! Terrific thing)	Helen Carroll ; Russ Case Orchestra ; The Satisfiers	Female vocal solo, with vocal group and instrumental ensemble	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-1737	10-in.	4/27/1946	Whatta ya gonna do	Louis Armstrong Orchestra	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-2061	10-in.	4/29/1946	I'd be lost without you	Betty Jane Rhodes ; Russ Case Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble	composer
Victor	D6VB-2074	10-in.	5/19/1946	Wherever there's me, there's you	The Four Hits ; Betty Hutton ; Joe Lilley Orchestra	Female vocal solo, with male vocal quartet and jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-2801	10-in.	9/6/1946	It's all over now	Charlie Spivak Orchestra ; Jimmy Saunders	Male vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	songwriter
Victor	D6VB-3019	10-in.	10/16/1946	I used to work in Chicago	Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye	Jazz/dance band, with vocal solos and vocal chorus	lyricist
Victor	D6VB-3120	10-in.	10/19/1946	You'll always be the one I love	Charles Dant Orchestra ; Betty Jane Rhodes	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	lyricist
Victor	D7VB-1481	10-in.	8/8/1947	It all came true	Beryl Davis	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	composer
Victor	D7VB-1764	10-in.	10/20/1947	Song of New Orleans	Larry Green ; Larry Green Orchestra	Vocal trio, with jazz/dance band	composer
Victor	D7VB-2076	10-in.	11/14/1947	I still love you	Kaye Choir ; Sammy Kaye ; Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye	Recitation, with vocal chorus and jazz/dance band	lyricist
Victor	D7VB-2152	10-in.	12/3/1947	I'm a-rollin'	Roy Rogers	Male vocal solo, with string band	songwriter
Victor	D7VB-2190	10-in.	12/12/1947	Ready, set, go!	Count Basie Orchestra ; Jeanne Taylor	Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band	lyricist
Victor	D8VB-3883	10-in.	7/23/1948	Hair of gold	Drugstore Cowboys ; Jack Lathrop	Male vocal quartet, with ukulele and 4 harmonicas	composer

(Results 1-25 of 29 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Skylar, Sunny," accessed November 2, 2024, https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/344111.

Skylar, Sunny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 2, 2024, from https://adpprod2.library.ucsb.edu/names/344111.

"Skylar, Sunny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 2 November 2024.