Died On This Date (August 22, 2008) Ralph Young / Sandler & Young
themusicsover Ralph Young (Born Ralph Israel)
July 1, 1918 – August 22, 2008
Ralph Young is best remembered as half of the duo, Sandler & Young which he formed during the ’60s with fellow singer, Tony Sandler. Signed to Capitol Records in 1966, the duo went on to release 22 albums and toured the world. They were also a popular draw in Las Vegas throughout the ’70s and ’80s and made regular television appearances on such programs as the Ed Sullivan Show, Merv Griffin Show, and the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Sandler & Young retired in 1983 but reunited on ocassion, the most recent being in 2003. Ralph Young passed away in his home at the age of 90.
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The great Pearl Bailey was a singer and actress who went from the vaudeville stage to television and Broadway, eventually winning an Emmy and Tony award. She began her career as a teenager singing and dancing in clubs in the Philadelphia area. By the early ’40s she was entertaining troops with the USO. Upon her return to the states, Bailey settled in New York where she performed with the likes of 
Besides having a long and ultra-successful career as a television host and media mogul, Merv Griffin was also a very talented musician and songwriter. Griffin began his music career as a singer at the age of 19 when he appeared on a nationally syndicated radio program which lead to a gig singing in front of a traveling orchestra for the next four years. Shortly thereafter, Griffin recorded his first album, Songs By Merv Griffin, which would go down in history as the first American album ever recorded on magnetic tape. At 25, Griffin’s “I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts” became a chart topper, eventually selling some three million copies. By now Griffin was a popular fixture on the nightclub circuit, where he was discovered by Doris Day who opened some Hollywood doors which eventually lead to his lucrative film and television career. Griffin’s most popular song was a lullaby written for his son entitled “A Time For Tony.” The tune was renamed “Think!” and found a home as the countdown music for the Final Jeopardy rounds. Griffin has said that that simple melody has earned him in excess of $70 million dollars in royalties. Merv Griffin passed away as a result of prostate cancer on August 12, 2007. He was 82.