33:
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315:, who claimed that the melody to "Nature Boy" came from one of his songs, "Shvayg mayn harts" ("Be Still My Heart"). Ahbez claimed to have "heard the tune in the mist of the California mountains". However, legal proceedings resulted in a payment to Yablokoff of $ 25,000 in an out-of-court settlement.
455:
His wife Anna (née
Annette Jacobson; October 16, 1915 – August 9, 1963) died, aged 47, of leukemia, and his son Zoma (né Tatha Om Ahbez) drowned in 1971 at age 22. In 1974, ahbez was reported to be living in the Los Angeles suburb of Sunland, and he owned a record label named Sunland Records, for
233:(né Robert Bootzin), wore long hair and beards and ate only raw fruits and vegetables. During this period, he adopted the name "eden ahbez", choosing to spell his name with lower-case letters, claiming that only the words God and Infinity were worthy of capitalization.
256:". Cole began playing the song for live audiences to much acclaim, but needed to track down its author before releasing his recording of it. Publicity material for Cole's single instead makes the claim that
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recommended ahbez to Cole on behalf of
Capitol Records. Jack Patton, in turn, is said to have advised ahbez to bring "Nature Boy" to Capitol after befriending him at the restaurant where ahbez worked.
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During the 1930s, McGrew lived in Kansas City, Missouri, where he performed as a pianist and dance band leader. In 1941, he arrived in Los
Angeles and began playing piano in the Eutropheon, a small
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In 1959, he began recording instrumental music, which combined his signature somber tones with exotic arrangements and (according to the record sleeve) "primitive rhythms". He often performed
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Ahbez was born in
Brooklyn, New York to Jewish father George Philip Aberle and English mother Margaret Annie (Mason) Aberle. He spent his early years in the
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life from at least the 1940s, he traveled in sandals and wore shoulder-length hair and beard, and white robes. He camped out below the first L in the
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226:. He recalled once telling a policeman: "I look crazy but I'm not. And the funny thing is that other people don't look crazy but they are."
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sought ahbez in Palm
Springs, California, and the two wanderers shared a reportedly "near-telepathic" conversation. In the 1970s,
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Ahbez continued to supply Cole with songs, including "Land of Love (Come My Love and Live with Me)", which was also covered by
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arrangements. Ahbez promoted the album through a coast-to-coast walking tour making personal appearances, but it sold poorly.
236:
Some time in 1947, he married Anna
Jacobson a month after they met; the couple had a son, Tatha Om Ahbez, on October 9, 1948.
138:, was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s to 1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential in the
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Funny, it doesn't sound Jewish: how
Yiddish songs and synagogue melodies influenced Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and Hollywood
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362:, and others, as well as writing some rock-and-roll novelty songs. In 1957, his song "Lonely Island" was recorded by
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which he was recording under the name Eden Abba. From the late 1980s until his death, ahbez worked closely with
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350:, which included the only recording of Ahbez's four-part "Nature Boy Suite". The album was later reissued as
178:
169:. He slept outdoors with his family and ate vegetables, fruit, and nuts. He claimed to live on $ 3 per week.
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381:, and poetry gigs at beat coffeehouses in the Los Angeles area. In 1960, he recorded his only solo LP,
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Ahbez died on March 4, 1995, of injuries sustained in a car crash, at the age of 86. Another album,
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and became the focus of a media frenzy when Cole's version of "Nature Boy" shot to No. 1 on the
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paid ahbez $ 10,000 for the rights to "Nature Boy" to use as the theme song for their film
8:
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recorded a version of "Nature Boy" in 1966 and ahbez was photographed in the studio with
338:" after overhearing Jones recording his own version of the song. He worked closely with
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and remained there for eight consecutive weeks during the summer of 1948. In early 1948,
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Folkart, Burt A. (March 11, 1995). "Eden Ahbez; Wrote Hit Song 'Nature Boy'".
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The Honest Broker, Ted Gioia
Substack. June 12, 2024. Retrieved June 16, 2024
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on
Jeffries' United National label. In the mid-1950s, he wrote songs for
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748:"Speaking of Pictures...These Babies Were Born to Famous People in 1948"
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223:
944:"Eden's Island: A blog about Eden Ahbez, the composer of "Nature Boy""
886:“’Nature Boy’ Suit Settled.” Billboard, 20 January 1951, pages 10, 32.
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on piano. The song was finally released as a bonus track on the 1992
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later released versions of the song. Ahbez faced legal action from a
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1044:"Eden Ahbez: The Hippie Forefather's Final Statement to the World"
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464:, photos, and final works of ahbez are in Romersa's possession.
1147:"The Nature Boys southern California | PopBopRocktilUDrop"
393:
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366:, becoming the second and final Ahbez composition to hit the
1069:"Nature Boy: The Enchanted Life of Eden Ahbez – Iowa Source"
339:
1121:"'NATURE BOY': THE MYSTERIOUS LIFE AND WORK OF EDEN AHBEZ"
974:"Grace Slick and the Great Society - Nature Boy - YouTube"
896:"Ain't 'Nature Boy' Grand; Eden Spurs 'Riders In The Sky'"
537:
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recorded a version of "Nature Boy" with the photographer
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Their followers, known as "Nature Boys" and who included
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shadowboxstudio.com, Joe
Romersa. Retrieved June 1, 2015
545:. Brooklyn Public Library. July 22, 2010. Archived from
516:"Eden Ahbez - United States Social Security Death Index"
153:", which became a No. 1 hit for eight weeks in 1948 for
252:
in Los Angeles and handed him the music for his song, "
1018:"31 Oct 1974, 54 - The Miami Herald at Newspapers.com"
662:
History of Soybeans and Soyfoods in Africa (1857-2009)
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421:
album in early 1967. Later that year, British singer
16:
American songwriter and recording artist (1908–1995)
346:, and, in 1954, the pair collaborated on an album,
927:Morton, Richard (April 2011). "Strange Folk USA".
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1229:
769:[How a homeless man wrote a world hit].
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403:During the 1960s, ahbez released five singles.
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841:. The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music
727:
612:"Hippie Roots & The Perennial Subculture"
543:"Little Known Brooklyn Residents: eden ahbez"
142:movement. He was known to friends simply as
705:
703:
1199:space age pop, 2008. Retrieved June 1, 2015
767:"Wie ein Obdachloser einen Welthit schrieb"
134:(April 15, 1908 – March 4, 1995), known as
660:Shurtleff, William; Aoyagi, Akiko (2009).
460:, an engineer/drummer in Los Angeles. The
1095:"The Nature Boys | Reality Sandwich"
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994:
700:
637:Iacobbo, Karen; Iacobbo, Michael (2004).
914:allmusic.com; retrieved October 14, 2015
859:
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1218:Eden's Island - a blog about eden ahbez
1191:The Strangest Hit Songwriter in History
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866:. Vol. 1. SUNY Press. p. 78.
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1042:Chidester, Brian (February 18, 2014).
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785:"First on Capitol Records: Nature Boy"
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263:Ahbez was discovered living under the
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165:above Los Angeles and studied Asian
287:Ahbez was covered simultaneously in
181:of New York. He then traveled in an
1203:Joe Romersa's Tribute Site to ahbez
561:
13:
1288:Road incident deaths in California
1248:American people of English descent
1149:. October 14, 2021. Archived from
1123:. October 13, 2021. Archived from
1097:. January 17, 2021. Archived from
1071:. January 20, 2021. Archived from
995:Chidester, Brian (March 4, 2015).
935:
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572:"Letter to the Editor: Nature Boy"
14:
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1323:20th-century American songwriters
1303:Songwriters from New York (state)
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809:. September 11, 1993. p. 21.
765:Kringiel, Danny (March 4, 2020).
754:. January 3, 1949. pp. 5–7.
730:"Our very brief brush with fame"
728:Prady, Norman (March 24, 2006).
717:. May 10, 1948. pp. 131–35.
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827:. December 6, 1948. p. 83.
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664:. Soyinfo Center. p. 306.
578:. June 22, 1948. pp. 9–10.
976:. RoachForge. December 8, 2008
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222:movement in Germany. He was a
1:
734:The Christian Science Monitor
641:Vegetarian America: A History
501:
476:, was released posthumously.
218:philosophy influenced by the
179:Brooklyn Hebrew Orphan Asylum
172:
248:'s manager backstage at the
7:
1283:People from Chanute, Kansas
1278:American outsider musicians
1263:Jewish American songwriters
931:. No. 387. p. 37.
791:. June 5, 1948. p. 14.
614:. Hippy.com. Archived from
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10:
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1318:20th-century American Jews
590:"A Strange, Enchanted Boy"
244:In 1947, ahbez approached
688:. JazzStandards.com. 1948
415:during a session for the
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149:Ahbez composed the song "
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441:re-release of the album
204:. The cafe was owned by
1308:Songwriters from Kansas
1268:Musicians from Brooklyn
902:, March 5, 1949, p. 18.
336:Ghost Riders in the Sky
281:The Boy with Green Hair
202:Laurel Canyon Boulevard
132:George Alexander Aberle
53:George Alexander Aberle
1313:Del-Fi Records artists
1223:Discography at Discogs
474:Echoes from Nature Boy
309:Yiddish music composer
43:Background information
1273:Musicians from Kansas
1214:showandtellmucic.com,
997:"Finding Nature Girl"
206:John and Vera Richter
821:"Green Hair Trouble"
326:. In 1949, he gave
1153:on October 14, 2021
1127:on October 13, 2021
1101:on January 17, 2021
1075:on January 20, 2021
496:List of vegetarians
444:Third/Sister Lovers
348:The Singing Prophet
942:Chidester, Brian.
912:Stan Jones biodata
839:"Herman Yablokoff"
618:on August 30, 2007
352:Echoes of Eternity
330:the idea to cover
276:RKO Radio Pictures
102:, California, U.S.
83:Brooklyn, New York
1197:Biographical info
1174:Los Angeles Times
1048:Los Angeles Times
873:978-0-8444-1130-9
549:on March 10, 2013
435:William Eggleston
409:the Great Society
208:, who followed a
194:health food store
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387:Del-Fi Records
383:Eden's Island,
265:Hollywood Sign
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200:restaurant on
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128:Musical artist
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389:. This mixed
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360:Frankie Laine
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344:Herb Jeffries
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65:George McGrew
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59:Also known as
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1298:Raw foodists
1210:
1173:
1167:
1155:. Retrieved
1151:the original
1141:
1129:. Retrieved
1125:the original
1115:
1103:. Retrieved
1099:the original
1089:
1077:. Retrieved
1073:the original
1063:
1053:February 18,
1051:. Retrieved
1047:
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990:
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965:Ghostarchive
963:Archived at
959:
947:. Retrieved
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843:. Retrieved
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789:The Cash Box
788:
779:
773:(in German).
770:
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733:
723:
714:
711:"Nature Boy"
690:. Retrieved
686:"Nature Boy"
680:
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632:
620:. Retrieved
616:the original
606:
594:. Retrieved
584:
575:
551:. Retrieved
547:the original
520:. Retrieved
510:
473:
471:
462:master tapes
454:
442:
431:Alex Chilton
416:
413:Brian Wilson
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183:orphan train
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118:Years active
95:(1995-03-04)
18:
1243:1995 deaths
1238:1908 births
1157:November 6,
1131:November 6,
1105:November 6,
1079:November 6,
1027:November 6,
771:Der Spiegel
692:February 8,
553:February 7,
491:Gypsy Boots
458:Joe Romersa
405:Grace Slick
356:Eartha Kitt
299:magazines.
231:Gypsy Boots
220:Wandervogel
210:Naturmensch
157:. Living a
100:Los Angeles
1232:Categories
645:. p.
502:References
332:Stan Jones
254:Nature Boy
224:vegetarian
173:Early life
151:Nature Boy
136:eden ahbez
76:1908-04-15
63:eden ahbez
49:Birth name
25:eden ahbez
980:April 16,
949:April 16,
900:Billboard
845:March 21,
364:Sam Cooke
342:musician
328:Burl Ives
320:Doris Day
270:Billboard
167:mysticism
122:1940–1995
1253:Ascetics
1002:June 29,
967:and the
807:Cash Box
622:June 29,
596:June 29,
480:See also
439:Rykodisc
427:Big Star
407:'s band
297:Newsweek
198:raw food
1293:Hippies
1258:Exotica
522:May 11,
423:Donovan
398:exotica
391:beatnik
159:bucolic
111:Exotica
870:
668:
394:poetry
368:Top 40
295:, and
272:charts
240:Career
140:hippie
107:Genres
85:, U.S.
468:Death
418:Smile
396:with
379:flute
375:bongo
1159:2021
1133:2021
1107:2021
1081:2021
1055:2014
1029:2021
1004:2015
982:2013
951:2013
868:ISBN
847:2011
825:Life
752:LIFE
715:Life
694:2013
666:ISBN
624:2010
598:2010
576:Life
555:2013
524:2013
385:for
340:jazz
322:and
303:and
293:Time
289:Life
212:and
196:and
144:ahbe
90:Died
70:Born
647:171
429:'s
334:' "
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