He was born in Brooklyn, and trained as an accountant before working as a pianist in clubs and shows on and around Broadway, where he met and worked with theater and film producer Mike Todd. He wrote "You Opened My Eyes" for the Bill Barry Orchestra in 1935;[1] and in 1937 co-wrote, with Irving Gordon and Alvin S. Kaufman, the song "Me, Myself, and I", which was recorded by Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman and others.[2]
After Doris Fisher married in 1947 and retired from the entertainment industry, Roberts linked up with Lester Lee, with whom he co-wrote "You're Never Too Old", "Every Baby Needs a Da Da Daddy" and other songs in the 1948 movie Ladies of the Chorus starring Marilyn Monroe.[5] He and Lee then wrote the music for the 1949 Broadway show All for Love .[6] With Robert Allen, he also co-wrote Perry Como's 1952 hit, "To Know You (Is to Love You)".[7]
Roberts died at a Florida hospital, at age 60. A notice in Billboard indicated that the location was in Hollywood,[8] while The New York Times obituary, which featured an age discrepancy and gave the location's name as Hallandale, specified that "Allan Roberts, a lyricist, died of a heart attack today at a local hospital. He was 62 years old." The obituary further notes that "[H]is survivors include his widow, Molly, and two sons, Robert and Jeffery, all of Hollywood."[9]
^"Billboard". Google Books. February 5, 1966. Retrieved April 11, 2018. Songwriter Allan Roberts died in Hollywood, Fla., Jan 14
^"Allan Roberts, 62, Lyricist Wrote for Film Comedies". The New York Times. January 15, 1966. Retrieved April 11, 2018. Hallandale, Fla., Jan. 14 (UPI) Allan Roberts, a lyricist, died of a heart attack today at a local hospital.