Segal, an
English-speaking,
Jewish pianist, first gained public recognition in 1952 when his first song, the
Afrikaans "Miskien" ("Perhaps"), won the
Rooi Roos magazine song-writing competition. From 1953 to 1986, Segal performed regularly on live and recorded
SABC radio shows in South Africa, such as
Piano Playtime,
Sundown Serenade and
SA Showtime, and in the US was featured on
Supreme Master Television.
The Music of Charles Segal on the
SABC television network was a 1985 TV special featuring a wide range of South African musicians performing Segal's original compositions. Segal composed, performed and arranged 50 transcription long-playing recordings for the
SABC and was frequently commissioned to compose music for SABC productions, such as
The Forsyte Saga,
The Story of an African Farm, and
The Saga of Prunella and
The Summons. His song "
Carousel" was the theme for the "
Radio RSA" overseas broadcasts from 1969 through 1996. Numerous Charles Segal compositions have become part of traditional South African music: songs such as "Africa", "Kwela, Kwela", "Sy Kom Van Kommetjie", "Kalkoenkie" and "Hy-Ba-Ba-Rie-Bab", many of which were sung in
Afrikaans. In 1973, Segal's song "My Children, My Wife" (Segal-Roos), was voted by the South African audiences as the Song of the Year. Segal was presented with the
SARIE Award (equivalent to a Grammy Award) by Dr.
Christiaan Barnard, renowned surgeon who performed the world's first heart transplant. "My Children, My Wife" (Segal-Roos) was subsequently recorded in the Netherlands, Germany, England (by
Rolf Harris and Israel and reached European hit parades. Segal founded
Spin Record Company in 1954 to record and promote his music. Once established as a popular performer, Segal was recruited by other record labels, such as
Trutone,
Gallo Africa,
Trek Music,
CBS,
MFP Music for Pleasure and ''
Reader's Digest'' to record on their labels.
Segal's Publications was established in 1953 to maintain the copyright of Charles Segal compositions, to publish popular Segal songs on sheet music and to also promote fellow musicians and songwriters. Segal's Publications is also known as Charles Segal Publications and is affiliated with
BMI. Some popular Charles Segal
Sheet Music Albums include: "Charles Segal's Favourite Melodies," "Charles Segal's Favourite Melodies Volume 2," "The Charles Segal Dorothy Arenson Song Book," and "Sing With Charles Segal." Children's sheet music albums include "Magical Mystery Man," "Everyday Things," "Animal Concert," and "Sprankelende Liedjies." Segal's Publications also published music tutor books in English and Afrikaans, including
Home Piano Course for Beginners, Volumes 1 and 2,
Instant Organ and
Kits Orrel,
Instant Chord Book for the Piano,
Instant Keyboard and
Instant Songwriting. Segal's musical career spread to other parts of the world, including
London (1961),
Boston (1967), and in
New York where his song "Another Time, Another Place", written with US lyricist
Gladys Shelly (1968), was recorded by jazz singer
Arthur Prysock. Other hits written in the USA include "Girl Power" with
Sheila Davis and "Tomboy", sung by
Ronnie Dove, which received a "bullet" rating in
Billboard magazine in 1968. Segal's song "You're Not Alone", written with lyricist Barbara Brilliant, was featured at an
AIDS Foundation fundraiser at the
Boston Garden in 1992, where
Joan Rivers was the M.C., and his song "Just Talk to Me" was the theme song of a 1990s TV talk show of the same name on Boston's
WBZ-TV, with presenter
Barbara Brilliant. Segal composed eight full-length musicals with his wife
Colleen Segal (née Hay), which have been performed in
South Africa,
the US,
Britain and
Australia. These musicals include:
Magical Mystery Man,
Living! The Inside Story,
Rocky Road,
Mystery Mansion,
Once upon a Storyland,
Melanie! and
Summer Camp. In 1987, shortly after arriving in the USA, the pair wrote a musical called
Freedom! A Refusenik Story. They also wrote and published several music tutor books, such as
Instant Keyboard,
Instant Guitar, and
Instant Songwriting. Segal was a member of
BMI as a songwriter and publisher. Segal moved from Boston to
Los Angeles in 2011. He performed on piano regularly at celebrity events for award shows such as the
Oscars and
Emmys, the
MTV Movie Awards and the
Kids Choice and
Teen Choice Awards. In June 2017, Segal was awarded the
Guinness Book of World Records title of Most Recorded Pianist in the world, citing 11,721 tracks of his more than 25,000 recorded titles. Segal died at the age of 92 in
Hollywood, California, on 4 July 2021, as the Independence day fireworks blazed outside. He is buried at the famous
Hollywood Forever Cemetery. == Awards ==