February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986
“He wasn’t as well known as some of us, but he was a better songwriter than most of us and he will be missed by all of us.” – Irving Berlin
Harold Arlen was a composer and widely regarded as one of the most successful pop-song writers of all time. He worked with all the great lyricists including Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, Ira Gershwin and Yip Harburg. He is one of the most prominent contributors to the Great American Songbook. Continue reading
April 19, 1935 – March 27, 2002
What Dudley Moore lacked in stature, he more than made up for in talent. The diminutive English actor/comedian was also a brilliant musician who learned to play organ and piano at a young age. His musical ability led to scholarships and eventually to Oxford, where he fell in love with jazz…and comedy.
December 24, 1893 – September 22, 1981
Academy Award winning composer, Harry Warren, was one of the first songwriters to focus mainly on the newfangled medium called “movies.” He wrote more than 500 songs over the course of his career. He gave us massive hits like “I Only Have Eyes for You,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” “Jeepers Creepers” and many, many more. Along with lyricist Al Dubin, Warren scored the first hit film musical, 42nd Street. He worked for all the major film studios – oftentimes alongside legendary director/choreographer, Busby Berkeley – and partnered with many of the most famous lyricists of the day, including, but not limited to, Johnny Mercer, Mack Gordon and Ira Gershwin. Continue reading
August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990
“The other night I bippy nigh, blabba habba dooby die, mowt say hiddy lie, LEO-NARD BERN-STEIN!” – It’s The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) – R.E.M. (paraphrased)
Louis “Leonard” Bernstein was and is an American musical treasure. Reaching international acclaim, Bernstein is most widely known as the long-time musical director of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and for his many stage and screen compositions. Bernstein grew up in Massachusetts, graduated from Harvard and, by way of grad school in Philadelphia, made his way to New York. It was in New York where he joined The Revuers and began his composing and conducting career. In 1943, he filled in as the main conductor for the NYPO and became an instant success. Continue reading
April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004
Lyricist Fred Ebb worked with a number of composers throughout his career, but it was his partnership with John Kander that garnered him his biggest successes. Kander and Ebb wrote some of Broadway’s biggest all-time hits: Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, among others. In addition to the stage, they wrote for films as well. Most notably contributing the theme song to Martin Scorsese’s 1971 film New York, New York which was launched into the stratosphere by Frank Sinatra. Continue reading
September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937
December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983
The mere utterance of few names in American music make as immediate and complete of an impact as the name “Gershwin”.
The composer/lyricist brothers (George/Ira, respectively) had a profound influence on music in the early 1900’s. George’s body of work covers everything from Classical to Popular, with stops on Broadway and in opera along the way. The younger Gershwin landed his first music job shilling songs in New York’s fabled Tin Pan Alley at the age of 15. Ira waited a little longer, but by the time the brothers teamed up for the first time with 1924’s Lady Be Good, their golden touch was evident. Continue reading
April 1, 1873 – March 28, 1943
The last of the great Romantic Russian composers, Sergei Rachmaninoff was born into a prominent, if broke, old-aristocratic family. He overcame a torrid childhood filled with dying siblings, a deadbeat father and multiple homes. Through it all, his love for the piano endured. Despite being a below-average student, Rachmaninoff went on to study at the Moscow Conservatory where he excelled. A gifted musician and composer who was influenced by predecessors like Tchaikovsky, he wrote the majority of his catalog before the age of 35. Continue reading
November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958
William Christopher Handy was a legendary blues man who is often cited as the “Father of the Blues.” Handy was notable for drawing on folk and dixie jazz stylings and for his prolific publishing. The latter is especially important since he was one of the first African Americans to have success in music publishing. His scores such as “Memphis Blues,” “Yellow Dog Rag” and “Saint Louis Blues” would become standards of the genre’s early popularity. Continue reading
January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945
Jerome Kern’s contributions to American music in the first half of the 20th Century cannot be ignored. He wrote dozens of hit musicals for the Broadway stage and worked with many of the top lyricists of the day. Though his biggest hit – the groundbreaking Show Boat – is essentially the only show that has maintained its popularity, his stable of popular songs written for other shows and films remains a staggering portfolio even today. Songs like “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Pick Yourself Up,” “Ol’ Man River” and “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” have been covered by everybody from Frank Sinatra to Billie Holiday. Continue reading
June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993
Sammy Cahn – born Samuel Cohen in New York City – was a Academy Award winning songwriter and lyricist. Known for popular songs like “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “All the Way,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” and “Come Fly With Me” (among countless others), he was famous for his collaborations with stars like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Doris Day. His songs were made popular on film, stage, radio and television. Continue reading
Celebrity Graveland 