Sidney Sheldon Heading to Nashville

ByABC News
October 18, 2000, 11:52 AM

Oct. 29 -- Faith Hill and Tim McGraw can consider themselves warned: The next big lyricist in country musics hometown could be a guy who knows more than a thing or two about writing a hit.

Author Sidney Sheldon is packing up for a visit to Nashville to embark on a career as a songwriter, something he gave up on when he was 17 years old in favor of creating films, TVs I Dream of Jeannie, and a slew of best-selling novels.

I worked two movies with Irving Berlin. I never told him that I almost replaced him as Americas top songwriter because I didnt want to make him nervous, says Sheldon.

The author spoke with ABCNEWS.com about his latest book, The Sky Is Falling. He also revealed his plans for the near future, which include a jaunt to the country music capital, where hes, going down to meet some people with the intention of making some music.

My Life as a Frog

So what does an 83-year old guy living in Los Angeles and Palm Springs know about country music? Sheldons first job wasnt roping cattle. He started out as a movie theater usher in Manhattan.

He went on to pen tales of international espionage in novels like Windmills of the Gods and Rage of Angels, in which lawyers battle the Mafia. So he can draw on that experience to create the sort of colorful, cowboy-hat wearing characters one would expect in a country song.

And considering hes won a screenplay Oscar for 1948s The Bachelor and the Bobby Soxer and a Tony in 1959 for Redhead (which starred Gwen Verdon, who died Oct. 18 at age 75), hes more than proven his versatility.

Sheldon says hes already written a batch of songs, with titles including A Poem, If I Could Build Me a Man and It Was a Frog.

No, the frog song is not a homage to Kermit. But it could end up as an anthem for married men who have been caught in the sack with another woman. Sheldon explains that the songs leading man offers up a fairy tale of an excuse when hes found with another woman: Sweetheart dont judge me in too big a hurry, heres my side On Main Street a talking frog said pick me up and when he woke up it was a beautiful [lady].