He is a composer, musician, author and jingle writer born in the Bronx, New York, who grew up with Bobby Darin. They played together in a band with him playing the saxophone and guitar.
He started out composing for Hollywood exploitation films and after moving into commercials in the 1960s he became one of the best known jingle writers in America. By the 1970s his work could be heard all over the television and radio with songs such as “Here Comes the King”, “Wrigley Spearmint Gum/Carry the Big Fresh Flavour”, “Hershey, The Great American Chocolate Bar”, “When You Say Budweiser (You’ve Said It All)” and “Weekends Were Made for Michelob”.
His songs and compositions appear in films such as Girl On a Chain Gang, Misconduct, The Candidate, Juke Box Racket, The Terminal and The All Together.
His song “I Love New York” has been recorded numerous times with the title quoted on a regular basis and it is now the State song of New York.
As an author he has written the books Me and Bobby D: A Memoir about his work with Bobby Darin in the 1950s, and Who Killed the Jingle? How a Unique American Art Form Disappeared. He is the winner of 16 Clio Awards.
He received an honorary degree from Binghamton University in New York in 2012.
Metropolis recordings
I Love New York (Steve Karmen)
I Love New York (Instrumental) (Steve Karmen)
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