Earl Stanley Shuman was born on August 2, 1923, in Boston, Massachusetts, and passed away on February 13, 2019, in New York City. He was a prolific American songwriter and lyricist, renowned for his contributions to the music industry with over 400 published songs. Shuman's work was performed by a wide array of celebrated artists, including Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Tom Jones, and many others.

Among his most notable works are "Hey There Lonely Girl," co-written with Leon Carr, which nearly topped the Hot 100 in 1970, and "Seven Lonely Days," co-written with his brother Alden Shuman and Marshall Brown. His song "Hotel Happiness," also co-written with Carr, reached #3 in the U.S. in 1962, and "Starry Eyed," co-written with Mort Garson, hit #1 in the U.K. in 1960. Shuman's songs were also sampled in modern music, such as Melanie Fiona's "It Kills Me," which spent nine weeks at #1 on the R&B chart in 2009.

Earl Shuman was a graduate of Yale University, where he played catcher on the baseball team, and he served in the Marines during World War II and the Korean War. He was married to Peggy Shuman and was survived by his children and grandchildren. Shuman's legacy in the music industry remains influential, with his songs continuing to resonate with audiences worldwide.