Alfred Newman (1901-1970) was, for much of his career, the most influential and respected composer and music director in Hollywood. His 44 Oscar nominations and nine Academy Awards are both records that are unlikely ever to be broken. The first-born of ten children to an impoverished produce seller in New Haven, Connecticut, Newman manifested... [+] Read More

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In addition to releasing a string of successful records between 1912 and 1949, Al Jolson achieved pre-eminent stardom on Broadway, hosted several radio series, and became the first important figure of the sound-era of motion pictures. His performing style was brash and extroverted; he billed himself as "the world's greatest entertainer," and he... [+] Read More

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Dancer, actor, and singer Fred Astaire worked steadily in various entertainment media during nine decades of the 20th century. The most celebrated dancer in the history of film, with appearances in 31 movie musicals between 1933 and 1968 (and a special Academy Award in recognition of his accomplishments in them), Astaire also danced on-stage and... [+] Read More

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In a career tragically cut short in mid-stride by a brain tumor, George Gershwin (1898-1937) proved himself to be not only one of the great songwriters of his extremely rich era, but also a gifted "serious" composer who bridged the worlds of classical and popular music. The latter is all the more striking, given that, of his contemporaries,... [+] Read More

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American songwriter, playwright and producer George M. Cohan is best known for his theatrical productions. His persona was the epitome of what it meant to be a song-and-dance man. The majority of Cohan's productions were for vaudeville; however, his musical comedies melded into such works as "Little Johnny Jones" which was partially an... [+] Read More

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One of the great composers of the American popular song, Hoagy Carmichael differed from most of the others (with the obvious exception of Duke Ellington) in that he was also a fine performer. Such Carmichael songs as "Stardust," "Georgia on My Mind," "Up the Lazy River," "Rockin' Chair," "The Nearness of You," "Heart and Soul," "In the Cool,... [+] Read More

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J. Russel Robinson (with only one "L") was a pianist and songwriter from Indianapolis. Robinson began his career in vaudeville around 1908 as part of an act called the Robinson Brothers; his first published composition was "Dynamite Rag," which appeared in 1910. Robinson's first hit was in 1912 with "That Eccentric Rag," and in 1916 he earned a... [+] Read More

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