Stories of Standards | "Everything Happens to Me" - KUVO

The history of “Everything Happens to Me” (1941) by Matt Dennis and Thomas Adair started in December 1940 when composer Matt Dennis went to see his friend ... Skiptocontent StoriesofStandards|“EverythingHappenstoMe” Share Tuneinto FirstTakewithLandoandChavis–weekdaysfrom6-9amMT–for StoriesofStandards tohearourfavoriteversionsofthissongallweeklong! StoriesofStandardsissponsoredby ListenUp –Ifyoulovemusic,you’llloveListenUp. Thehistoryof“EverythingHappenstoMe”(1941)byMattDennisandThomasAdairstartedinDecember1940whencomposerMattDenniswenttoseehisfriendJoStaffordperformingwithTommyDorseyattheHollywoodPalladium.Staffordintroducedthem,DennisplayedsomeofhistunesandDorseyofferedtorecordthem.Lyricswereneeded;fortunately,ThomasAdairapproachedMattDennisatanightclubsoonafterwardsandaskedifhecouldwriteasongwithhim.Adairhadalreadywrittenthelyricsfor“WillYouStillBeMine?”in1940;Dennisthenwrotethemelody.“EverythingHappenstoMe”wasthefirstofadozenDennis-AdairsongsrecordedbytheTommyDorseyOrchestra;FrankSinatrawasthefirstvocalistwhorecordedit. MattDennis(1914-2002)camefromavaudevillefamilyandplayedwithHoraceHeidtasapianist/vocalistbeforejoiningTommyDorseyascomposerandarranger.HavingservedfouryearsintheAirForceduringWorldWarII,thenbrieflyplayingintheGlennMillerBand,DennisbecamethemusicaldirectorforDickHaymes’radioshow.Hehadawidelyvariedcareerinmusic,withnightclubappearances,severaltelevisionprogramsincludingaseasononNBCin1955andhadwrittentwotutorialsforjazzpiano. ThomasAdair(1913-1988)movedfromhishometownofNewton,Kansas,toLosAngelesforcollege.Whiletherehewroteforradioshowsandcontributedpoetrytothe“SaturdayEveningPost”.HeworkedwithMattDennisuntilheleftforaWaltDisneyproject,FrontierlandwherehecollaboratedwithCharlesLaVere.AdairandGeorgeBrunslaterscoredthe1959Disneyfilm“SleepingBeauty”.Duringthe1950shewasalsowritingextensivelyfortelevision,andwithJamesB.Allardice,wroteepisodesforHazel,MyThreeSons,IDreamofJeannie,GomerPyle,andTheMunsters.AdairretiredfromwritingafterAllardice’sdeathin1966.   Copyright2019KUVO.Toseemore,visitKUVO. E-NewsSignup Ourweeklye-newsletter,OasisOnline,providesstationandcommunityeventupdates. SignUp BecomeaMember Jointhegrowingfamilyofpeoplewhobelievethatmusicisessentialtoourcommunity.Yourdonationsupportstheworkwedo,theprogramsyoucounton,andtheeventsyouenjoy. LearnMore DownloadtheApp DownloadKUVO'sFREEapptoday!TheKUVOPublicRadioAppallowsyoutotakeKUVO'smusicandnewswithyouanywhere,anytime! Download