Jack Lawrence, a legendary songwriter who penned the lyrics for such chart-toppers as “Tenderly,” “All or Nothing at All,” and “Beyond the Sea” dies at the age of 96.
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Jack Lawrence, a legendary songwriter who penned the lyrics for such chart-toppers as “Tenderly,” “All or Nothing at All,” and “Beyond the Sea” died on March 15th at the age of 96.
Lawrence will forever be remembered as a timeless songwriter whose lyrics helped launch many artists’ careers. It was Jack’s “Tenderly” that catapulted singer Rosemary Clooney’s career into stardom, and the song became her very own anthem. Frank Sinatra also scored a hit early in his career with Lawrence’s “All or Nothing at All.”
Although he never gained the level of recognition his peers Irving Berlin or George Gershwin did, Lawrence was considered of the best in the business. Other artists who’ve recorded his songs include Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, and Tony Bennett.
In an interesting side story, according to a 1988 interview, Lawrence was once asked by his attorney Lee Eastman to pen a song for his daughter Linda. In 1947 the song “Linda” became a national hit. Linda Eastman would later marry Sir Paul McCartney. The famed Beatle now owns the rights to the song.
