Arnold Shaw, 80; UNLV Professor, Author, Composer

Arnold Shaw, composer, author and university professor, has died of cancer at the age of 80.

A spokesman for the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, where Shaw founded the Popular Music Research Center in 1985, said Shaw died at his Las Vegas home Sept. 26. A memorial service was held on campus Monday.

Shaw, who was the author of a dozen books, among them “The Street That Never Slept,” a history of New York City’s 52nd Street and its jazz clubs, was credited with helping bring Elvis Presley to national prominence. Presley’s records were becoming popular in the South when Shaw persuaded some northern radio stations to air them. The resulting attention attracted RCA Victor Records, which signed Presley to a contract and began to promote him nationally.

Shaw’s compositions ranged from “Sing a Song of Americans” in 1941 to “Plabiles,” 12 songs without words for piano.

Shaw was educated at Columbia University and was a pianist and band leader on radio before entering the music publishing field as a publicist and advertising representative.

He taught at UNLV until last year, when his health began to fail.