Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1912 February 2 | Born in New York City to real estate agent Lazarus Levy and amateur pianist Frances Fink Levy |
| circa 1920-1926 | Attended Dwight Academy |
| circa 1922 | Began piano studies |
| 1926-1927 | Attended the High School of Commerce, where he played violin and cello in the orchestra and wrote marches for the band |
| 1927 | Published his first song, "Broken Butterfly," with lyrics by Sam Lewis Dropped out of high school to work as a song plugger for Remick Music Company Commissioned by Howard Stern, music director for producer J. J. Schubert, to write music for the revue Greenwich Village Follies, which was never produced because the star, James Barton, became ill |
| 1929 | Performed his own compositions for George and Ira Gershwin |
| 1930-1933 | Studied with pianist and conductor Simon Bucharoff at the recommendation of George Gershwin |
| 1930 | Composed "Forget All Your Books" and "Out in the Open Air," with lyrics by Howard Dietz, for the Broadway musical revue Three's a Crowd |
| 1931 | Composed songs, with lyrics by Harold Adamson, for the musical revues The Third Little Show and Singin' in the Rain Collaborated with Adamson on the score for Earl Carroll Vanities (Ninth Edition) |
| 1933 | Composed music for the song "Tony's Wife," with lyrics by Adamson, recorded on the album A Penny for Your Thoughts, featuring Ramona and Her Piano and Paul Whiteman's Orchestra Signed a six-week trial contract with Irving Berlin Publishing Company to compose film music in Hollywood Composed "Everything I Have Is Yours," with lyrics by Adamson, for the film Dancing Lady |
| 1933 | Began composing music for songs used in more than thirty films |
| 1934 | Introduced Frances Gumm, later known as Judy Garland, to MGM executives and served as accompanist for her audition |
| 1935 | Married Marion Seeman (divorced 1961) |
| 1936-1941 | Under contract with Paramount Pictures |
| 1939 | Composed music for the song "The Lady's in Love with You," with lyrics by Frank Loesser, for the film Some Like It Hot |
| 1940 | Composed music for the song "How About You," with lyrics by Ralph Freed, for the film Babes on Broadway Composed music for Hold On to Your Hats, with lyrics by E. Y. (Edgar Yipsel) Harburg and starring Al Jolson in his last Broadway role |
| 1942 | Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "How About You" from Babes on Broadway Birth of daughter Diana |
| 1944 | Composed music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Laffing Room Only |
| 1947 | Composed music for the Broadway musical Finian's Rainbow, with lyrics by E. Y. (Edgar Yipsel) Harburg, which ran for 725 performances |
| 1951 | Composed music for songs for the film Royal Wedding, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Too Late Now" from Royal Wedding |
| 1957-1967 | President, American Guild of Authors and Composers |
| 1961 | Married Lynn Kaye (with step-daughters Elizabeth, Peggy, and Hillary Kaye) |
| 1965 | Composed the music for the songs for the Broadway musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Awarded the Grammy Award for Best Score from An Original Cast Show Album for On a Clear Day You Can See Forever |
| 1966 | Nominated for the Tony Award for Original Musical Score for On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Received the first Sigmund Romberg Award from the American Guild of Authors and Composers |
| 1968 | Film version of Finian's Rainbow released |
| 1970 | Film version of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever released |
| 1971 | Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame |
| 1979 | Composed the score for Carmelina, with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Nominated for the Tony Award for Original Musical Score for Carmelina; later revised with the title Someone in April |
| 1985-1996 | Member, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Board of Directors |
| 1992 | Inducted into the U. S. Theatre Hall of Fame Received the Johnny Mercer Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame Awarded the American Theatre Award by the Berkshire Festival Theatre |
| 1997 January 5 | Died in New York, New York |