Biography for Charles Nathan

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION 

Charles was born on April 17th, 1921, in London, England. He and his family arrived in the US by boat when he was age three. Charles grew up in Los Angeles, California and became a naturalized citizen.

At age ?fteen, he quit high school to work playing the jazz trumpet. Charles studied trumpet under Lloyd Reese and Louie Maggio. He became an accomplished jazz trumpet player and big band arranger.

Charles served in the US Army Air Corps during WWII assigned to several prestigious US Army Air Corps bands. While still in the Air Force, he organized a band of his own. 

PERSONAL LIFE

In 1942, he married singer Tonie Nathan at age twenty-one. Tonie Nathan was his partner in the music business handling all of the office chores required for submitting songs to music publishers and record labels. In her later years, Tonie pursued politics distinguishing herself in 1972 as the first woman to receive an electoral vote for vice president of the United States. She was a Libertarian.

MUSIC CAREER

In 1953 Charles's efforts in songwriting led to the successful recording of Say You're Mine Again by Perry Como, music by Charles Nathan, and words by Dave Heisler. It climbed to number one in England and number six on the US Hit Parade. Later in 1953, a BMI Certificate Of Achievement was awarded to Charles "in recognition of the great National Popularity attained by, Say You're Mine Again."

Soon after Charles's success with, Say You're Mine Again, the new popularity of Rock & Roll and Country Western music began to shrink the market Charles so dearly loved. Regardless, Charles continued to write and produce some songs that reflected the successes heard in the music of that time. In the mid-sixties, Charles's Hurry Home to ''Me'' was recorded by Anita Bryant, appearing on her Greatest Hits album. In 1971, at age fifty, Charles composed a fresh big band arrangement of his song South of the Blues and two new big band arrangements entitled Number One and Charlie's Theme. At about this time, Chuck began to assemble some select songs from the many dozens he had written over the years to write a new musical comedy, The Foursome.

In September 2001, Charles's musical, The Foursome, was produced at The Actor's Cabaret in Eugene, Oregon. Thanks to Chuck's sense of humor and musical talent, it was a local hit. The Foursome was produced again at the ACE in June of 2010. ACE also staged a musical review of Chuck's work entitled, ''All About Love'' which grew out of his second musical entitled ''Girls and Poise''. Then came a musical with nothing but new songs, ''Where the Heck's the Plot'' began in Charles's eighties. ACE produced ''Where the Heck's the Plot'' in 2009.

In 2013, one year after Charles's death, a song from ''Where the Heck's the Plot'' entitled ''I'll think of something'' became the title track of a Soaring Music Publications CD album. Soaring Music Publications ownership belongs to Charles's musical son Greg. Soaring's mission is to advance the songs and musicals left to the Nathan Family Estate, where Gregory Charles Nathan is the executor. Soaring's second release of a Charles Nathan song is ''I Want a Doll,'' produced at the end of October in 2021. 

Over Charles's lifetime, artists of note associated with the recordings of his songs include Perry Como, Anita Bryant, The HiLo's, Billy May, Georgia Brown, Harry Bluestone, Babe Russin, Ruth Olay, and others.

Discography:   

    •    "Say You're Mine Again" (1953) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Too Proud to Cry" (1953) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "You Were a Smarty" (1953) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Anyone Can Dream" (1954) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Half of My Heart" (1954) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Just as You Are" (1954) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Somewhere There is Someone" (1954) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "They Tell Me" (1954) w. Sid Flick
    •    "Three Broken Promises" (1955) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Dance If You Want to Dance" (1956) w. Don Robertson and Sid Flick
    •    "Congratulations" (1958) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Never Doubt Me" (1958) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Helplessly Hopelessly" (1958) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Rock and Roll Music Box" (1958) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "The Perfect Crime" (1958) w. Dave Heisler
    •    "Hurry Home to Me"(1963)
    •    "No Use" (1965)
    •    "I'll Think of Something" (2013)
    •    "I Want a Doll" (2021)
    •    "And You Were There" (2024)
    •    "One Heart of Gold" (2024)
    •    "Where Do I Belong" (2024)
    •    "Come Home My Love" (2024)
    •    "That's the Story of My Life" (2024)
    •    "It May Be Difficult" (2024)
    •    "Our aLucky Day" (2024)
    •    "What Happened to the World" (2024)
    •    "Change Places" (2024)
    •    "Love Me" (2024)

Produced Musicals 

• "The Foursome" (2001) some songs w. Dave Heisler 

• "All About Love" (A Revue - 2006) some songs w. Dave Heisler 

• "Where the Heck's the Plot?" (2010

Awards

1953 - BMI Certificate of Achievement

1959 - ASCAP Election to Membership