Jimmy Van Heusen (January 26, 1913 - February 7, 1990), was an American composer. He wrote songs for films and television and won four Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and an Emmy.
Born Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York, he began writing music while at high school. He renamed himself at age 16, after the famous shirt makers, Phillips-Van Heusen, to use as his on-air name during a local radio show.
Studying at Cazenovia Seminary a...
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Jimmy Van Heusen (January 26, 1913 - February 7, 1990), was an American composer. He wrote songs for films and television and won four Academy Awards for Best Original Song, and an Emmy.
Born Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York, he began writing music while at high school. He renamed himself at age 16, after the famous shirt makers, Phillips-Van Heusen, to use as his on-air name during a local radio show.
Studying at Cazenovia Seminary and Syracuse University, he became friends with Jerry Arlen, the younger brother of Harold Arlen. With the elder Arlen's help, Van Heusen wrote songs for the Cotton Club revue, including "Harlem Hospitality."
He then became a staff pianist for some of the Tin Pan Alley publishers, and wrote "It's the Dreamer in Me" (1938) with lyrics by Tommy Dorsey.
Collaborating with lyricist Eddie DeLange, on songs such as "Heaven Can Wait", "So Help Me", and "Darn That Dream", his work became more prolific, writing over 60 songs in 1940 alone. It was in...
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