American Popular Song Composers

In this volume, 39 of the legendary composers from Tin Pan Alley, Hollywood and Broadway of the 1920s through the 1950s discuss their careers and share the stories of creating many of the most beloved songs in American music. Interviewed for radio in the mid–1970s, they include such giants as Harold Arlen, Eubie Blake, Cy Coleman, George Duning, Sammy Fain, Jerry Herman, Bronislaw Kaper, Henry Mancini, David Rose, Arthur Schwartz, Charles Strouse, Jule Styne, Jimmie Van Heusen, Harry Warren, Richard Whiting, and Meredith Willson. Photographs and rare sheet music reproductions accompany the interviews.

Michael Whorf is a veteran broadcaster, producer and writer, widely known for his 39-year tenure with Detroit radio station WJR. A recipient of the George Foster Peabody Award, he was inducted into the Michigan Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2008.

Michael Whorf
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 256
Bibliographic Info: 38 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6537-8
eISBN: 978-0-7864-9062-2
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      ix

Foreword by Pete Misiak      1

Preface      5

Introduction      9

1 Milton (Milt) Ager 1893–1979      13

2 Louis (Lou) Alter 1902–1980      18

3 Harold Arlen 1905–1986      24

4 Bennie Benjamin 1907–1989      30

5 Eubie Blake 1883–1983      34

6 Rube Bloom 1902–1976      39

7 Saul Chaplin 1912–1997      46

8 Cy Coleman 1928–2004      53

9 J. Fred Coots 1897–1985      59

10 George Duning 1908–2000      66

11 Sherman Edwards 1919–1981      70

12 Sammy Fain 1902–1989      77

13 John Green 1908–1989      83

14 Arthur Hamilton ca. 1926–      91

15 Jerry Herman 1932–      97

16 Bronislaw Kaper 1902–1983      102

17 Irwin Kostel 1911–1994      107

18 Burton Lane 1912–1997      112

19 Henry Mancini 1924–1994      118

20 Johnny Mandel 1925–      124

21 Gerald Marks 1900–1997      130

22 Johnny Marks 1909–1985      135

23 Vic Mizzy 1916–2009      140

24 Joe Myrow 1910–1987      146

25 Ben Oakland 1907–1979      151

26 Abe Olman 1887–1984      155

27 David Raksin 1912–2004      161

28 David Rose 1910–1990      167

29 Arthur Schwartz 1900–1984      173

30 Harold Spina 1906–1997      178

31 Charles Strouse 1928–      184

32 Jule Styne 1905–1994      189

33 Dana Suesse 1911–1987      196

34 Kay Swift 1905–1993      201

35 James (Jimmy) Van Heusen 1913–1990      206

36 Harry Warren 1893–1981      210

37 Richard Whiting 1891–1938      215

38 Meredith Willson 1902–1984      220

39 Guy Wood 1912–2001      225

Bibliography      231

Index      233

“Whorf draws on about 70 taped interviews he recorded for a radio series at WJR in Detroit in the mid-1970s”—Reference & Research Book News.