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Jerome David Kern (January 27, 1885 – November 11, 1945) was an American composer of popular music. Events 98 - Trajan becomes Roman Emperor after the death of Nerva. Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance He wrote around 700 songs, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A Fine Romance", "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", "All the Things You Are" and "The Way You Look Tonight". " Ol' Man River " (music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) is a song in the 1927 musical Show Boat, that tells " Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man " with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, is one of the most famous songs from their classic 1927 Musical " Smoke Gets in Your Eyes " is a Show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for their 1933 Operetta "All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. " The Way You Look Tonight " is a song featured in the film Swing Time, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. His career spanned dozens of Broadway musicals and Hollywood films from 1902 until his death. Although Kern wrote almost exclusively for musical theatre and musical film, the harmonic richness of his compositions lends them well to the jazz idiom (which typically emphasizes improvisation based on a harmonic structure) and many Kern melodies have been adopted by jazz musicians to become standard tunes. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Musical composition is an original piece of Music the structure of a musical piece the process of creating a new Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of This is a list of Jazz musicians on whom Wikipedia has articles A jazz standard is a Jazz tune that is held in continuing esteem and which is widely known performed and recorded among jazz musicians as part of the jazz musical repertoire

Contents

Early Life and Career

Jerome Kern was born in New York City to Fanny and Henry Kern, both German Jews. The City of New York Jews have lived in Germany, or " Ashkenaz " at least since the early 4th century, through both periods of tolerance and spasms of They named him Jerome because they lived near Jerome Park, a favorite place of theirs. (Jerome Park was named after Leonard Jerome, who was the father of Jennie Jerome, mother of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Leonard Walter Jerome ( November 3, 1817 &ndash March 3, 1891) was a Brooklyn New York, financier and grandfather of Winston Lady Randolph Churchill CI DStJ ( Jeanette "Jennie" Jerome) ( January 9, 1854 – June 9, 1921) Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 ) Kern grew up on East 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan, where he attended public schools. See also Manhattan Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York Fanny Kern encouraged her son to take piano lessons. Henry Kern was a merchandiser and sold pianos among other items. Although Henry wanted his son to go into business with him, Jerome insisted on staying with music.

Kern studied at the New York College of Music and then briefly in 1904, in Heidelberg, Germany. Heidelberg is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. As of 2006 over 140000 people live within the city's area Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. From 1905 on, Kern spent large blocks of time in London, contributing songs to numerous London shows and marrying Eva Leale in Walton-on-Thames in 1910. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Walton-On-Thames is a Town in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey in South East England. In New York, he started working as a rehearsal pianist, initially contributing numbers for interpolation into other composers' scores. On May 1, 1915, Kern was meant to accompany Charles Frohman to London on board the RMS Lusitania, but overslept after being kept up late playing requests at a party. Charles Frohman ( July 15 1856 – May 7, 1915) was a Jewish American theatrical producer Construction and trials Owned by the Cunard Steamship Company built by John Brown and Company Lusitania was named for the ancient Roman province of

Kern's biggest hit of his early career was the song "They Didn't Believe Me" (lyric by Edward Laska) that was interpolated into the 1914 production The Girl from Utah.

The Princess Theatre Musicals

Kern composed sixteen Broadway scores between 1915 and 1920, with the most notable being the shows he wrote for the Princess Theatre, a small (299-seat) house built by Ray Comstock. For Decatur Alabama 's Princess Theatre see Princess Theatre Decatur 1910s Originally planned as a venue for short dramatic plays Comstock and agent Elizabeth Marbury joined forces to produce intimate, small-cast, low-budget musicals and hired Kern and librettist Guy Bolton. Guy Reginald Bolton ( November 23, 1884 - September 6, 1979) was a British - American Playwright and writer of These shows were unique on Broadway not only for their small size, but their coherent plots, integrated scores and naturalistic acting. After a modest success adapting a London operetta (Nobody Home in 1915), the team created an original piece, Very Good Eddie. Very Good Eddie is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Schuyler Green with additional British lyricist-librettist P.G. Wodehouse joined the Princess team in 1917, adding his impeccable humor to the succeeding shows: Oh, Boy! (1917), Leave It To Jane (1917), Oh, Lady! Lady! (1918),[1] and Oh, My Dear! (1918). Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE (15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975 (ˈwʊdhaʊs was an English Comic novelist who enjoyed enormous popular success Oh Boy! is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P

The 1920s

The 1920s were an extremely productive period in American Musical Theatre and Kern created at least one show per year for the entire decade.

In 1920, Kern wrote the entire score for the musical Sally, with book and lyrics by Otto Harbach. Sally is a musical comedy with music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Clifford Grey and book by Guy Bolton (inspired by the 19th century Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach ( August 18, 1873 - January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist This popular show introduced song "Look for the Silver Lining", performed by the rising Broadway star Marilyn Miller. Marilyn Miller ( September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early

1925 was a major turning point in Kern's career when he met Oscar Hammerstein II with whom he would entertain a lifelong friendship and collaboration. Oscar Hammerstein II (ˈhæmɚstaɪn (born Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein) ( July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was Their first show (written together with Harbach) was Sunny, which featured the song "Who (Stole My Heart Away)?". Sunny is a 1925 musical written by Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Otto Harbach. The by-now renowned Marilyn Miller played the title role in Sunny, as she had in Sally. Marilyn Miller ( September 1, 1898 – April 7, 1936) was one of the most popular Broadway musical stars of the 1920s and early

In 1927, Kern and Hammerstein wrote Show Boat, which musical theatre historian Miles Kreuger has hailed as, "the greatest single step forward in American musical theatre, enabling composers, lyricists and librettists to introduce more mature subject matter into their shows. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. " Based on the book of the same name by Edna Ferber, the sprawling work featured an unusually serious plot highlighting racism and miscegenation. Edna Ferber ( August 15 1885 - April 16 1968) was an American novelist, Author and Playwright Miscegenation (Latin miscere "to mix" + genus "kind" is the mixing of different racial groups, that is marrying, cohabiting The score is, arguably, Kern's greatest and includes the well-known songs "Ol' Man River" and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" as well as "Make Believe", "You Are Love", "Life Upon the Wicked Stage", "Why Do I Love You", and "Bill". " Ol' Man River " (music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II) is a song in the 1927 musical Show Boat, that tells " Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man " with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, is one of the most famous songs from their classic 1927 Musical

While most Kern musicals have largely been forgotten except for their songs, Show Boat remains well-remembered and frequently seen. Show Boat is a staple of stock productions and has been revived numerous times on Broadway. A 1946 revival integrated choreography into the show, in the manner of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, as did the 1993 Harold Prince revival. Richard Charles Rodgers ( June 28, 1902, Arverne Queens, New York City &ndash December 30, 1979, New York Oscar Hammerstein II (ˈhæmɚstaɪn (born Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein) ( July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was Harold Smith Prince (born January 30 1928) is an American Theatrical producer and director associated with many of the best-known Broadway Several of the songs from Show Boat were arranged by Charles Miller into the orchestral work Scenario for Orchestra: Themes from Show Boat in 1941 and premiered by the Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Artur Rodzinski, a unique honor for a Broadway show. The Cleveland Orchestra, located in Cleveland, Ohio is one of the major symphony Orchestras in the United States. Artur Rodziński ( January 1, 1892 &ndash November 27, 1958) was a Polish conductor.

Kern in Hollywood

In 1930, Kern was placed under contract by Warner Bros. to produce a series of musicals. The first product of that contract was Men of the Sky which was released in 1931 but largely ignored due to public backlash against the early glut of film musicals that greeted the advent of film sound. Men of the Sky ( 1931) is an All-Talking musical drama film which was produced by Warner Bros Consequently, the Warner Bros. bought out his contract and he returned to the stage.

In 1935, when musical films had become popular once again, Kern relocated to Hollywood, although he continued working on Broadway productions as well. This second phase of Kern's Hollywood career was greeted with considerably greater artistic and commercial success. For Swing Time (starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire), he wrote "The Way You Look Tonight" (with lyrics by Dorothy Fields), which won the Academy Award in 1936 for the best song. Ginger Rogers ( July 16, 1911 &ndash April 25, 1995) was an Academy Award -winning American film and stage actress Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 &ndash June 22, 1987) was an American Academy Award " The Way You Look Tonight " is a song featured in the film Swing Time, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936. Dorothy Fields ( July 15, 1905 &ndash March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Other songs in the film include "A Fine Romance", "Pick Yourself Up", and "Never Gonna Dance". "A Fine Romance" is a popular Song composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields, published in 1936. In 1941, Kern and Hammerstein wrote "The Last Time I Saw Paris", in homage to the French city just recently occupied by the Germans. The Last Time I Saw Paris is a 1954 romantic drama made by MGM, loosely based on F The song was used in the film Lady Be Good and won another Oscar for Best Song - the only time a song not written for the film it appears in won the Oscar. Lady Be Good is the title of an MGM Musical film which was released in 1941 In 1944, Kern teamed up with Ira Gershwin to write the songs for one of his best-remembered film musicals, Cover Girl, starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Ira Gershwin ( 6 December 1896 &ndash 17 August 1983) was an American Lyricist who collaborated with his younger Cover Girl is a 1944 American Musical film starring Rita Hayworth and Gene Kelly. Rita Hayworth (October 17 1918 &ndash May 14 1987 born Margarita Carmen Cansino was a Spanish-American actress who rose to stardom in the 1940s as the era's leading Sex symbol Eugene Curran “Gene” Kelly ( August 23, &ndash February 2,) was an American Dancer, Actor, Singer, director It featured the classic song "Long Ago and Far Away". " Long Ago (and Far Away " is a popular Song from the 1944 Technicolor film musical Cover Girl starring Rita That same year he also wrote the music for songs in Universal Pictures' Deanna Durbin musical comedy, Can't Help Singing. Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios) a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is a major Global American Deanna Durbin (born December 4, 1921) is a Canadian Singer and Academy Award -winning actress from Hollywood Can't Help Singing is a 1944 film musical in Technicolor starring Deanna Durbin.

Later Broadway Work

Music in the Air (1932) was another Kern-Hammerstein collaboration that is best remembered today for the song "The Song Is You". " The Song is You " is a popular song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. Another tune from the show, "In Egern on the Tegern See," is parodied by the song "In Izzenschnooken on the Lovely Essenzook Zee" in Rick Besoyan's satirical 1959 musical Little Mary Sunshine. Little Mary Sunshine is a musical that parodies old-fashioned Operettas and musicals

Roberta (1933) by Kern and Otto Harbach included the songs "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and "Yesterdays" and featured, among others, Bob Hope, Fred MacMurray, George Murphy and Sydney Greenstreet all in the early stages of their careers. Roberta is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. " Smoke Gets in Your Eyes " is a Show tune written by American composer Jerome Kern and lyricist Otto Harbach for their 1933 Operetta Bob Hope, KBE KCSG ( May 29, 1903 &ndash July 27, 2003) was an American comedian and actor who appeared in Frederick Martin MacMurray ( August 30, 1908 &ndash November 5, 1991) was an American Actor who appeared in over one George Lloyd Murphy ( July 4, 1902 – May 3, 1992) was an American Dancer, Actor, and Politician. Sydney Hughes Greenstreet ( December 27 1879 &ndash January 18 1954) was an English Actor, best known for his work with The 1935 film adaptation of the show was another Astaire/Rogers vehicle that jettisoned much of the Broadway score but added "Lovely to Look At".

Kern's last Broadway show was the rather unsuccessful Very Warm for May (1939), although the score included another Kern/Hammerstein classic, "All The Things You Are". Very Warm for May opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 17, 1939. "All the Things You Are" is a song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II. In 1985, the centenary of his birth, a rediscovered recording of a radio production featuring the original cast received a Grammy Nomination as Best Cast Show Album. The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences "All the Things You Are" has been recorded countless times as a jazz standard, including a flamboyant 1949 version by high-note trumpeter Maynard Ferguson that enraged Kern's widow and was withdrawn from sale. Walter Maynard Ferguson ( May 4, 1928 – August 23, 2006) was a Canadian Jazz Trumpet player and Bandleader

Kern suffered a heart attack in 1939 and was told by his doctors to concentrate on film scores - a less stressful task since Hollywood songwriters were not as deeply involved with the production of films as Broadway songwriters were with the production of stage musicals.

Death

In the Fall of 1945, Kern returned to New York City to oversee auditions for a new revival of Show Boat, and begin work on the score for what would become the musical Annie Get Your Gun. Annie Get Your Gun is a musical with lyrics and music written by Irving Berlin and a book by Herbert Fields and his sister Dorothy On November 5, 1945, Jerome Kern suffered a cerebral hemorrhage while walking at the south west corner of Park Avenue and 57th street. A cerebral hemorrhage (or intracerebral hemorrhage, ICH) is a subtype of Intracranial hemorrhage that occurs within the Brain tissue itself Identifiable only by his ASCAP card, Kern was initially taken to the indigent ward at City Hospital, later being transferred to Doctors Hospital in Manhattan. The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers ( ASCAP) is a non-profit Performance rights organization that protects its Collaborator Oscar Hammerstein II was at his side when Kern's breathing stopped and when Hammerstein hummed "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" (a personal favorite of the composer's) into Kern's ear but received no response, Hammerstein knew Kern was gone. [2]

Kern is interred at Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum in Westchester County, NY. [3] Kern was survived by his wife Eva and a daughter, Betty. At the time of Kern's death, MGM was filming a fictionalized version of his life, Till the Clouds Roll By, which was released in 1946 starring Robert Walker as Kern. Till The Clouds Roll By is an American musical - biographical film made by MGM in 1946. Robert Walker may refer to Robert Walker (painter (1599-1658 English painter associated with 57 portraits Robert J The task of writing the score for Annie Get Your Gun was given to veteran Broadway composer Irving Berlin, who proceeded to create an American masterpiece. Irving Berlin (11 May 1888 &ndash 22 September 1989 was a Russian-born American Composer and Lyricist, and one of the most prolific American songwriters

Complete Work for Broadway

Note: All shows are musical comedies for which Kern was the sole composer unless otherwise specified. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance

During his first phase of work for Broadway theater (1904-11), Kern wrote songs that were featured in revues or other collaborative musicals and occasionally co-wrote comic musicals with one or two other composers. A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. In some cases, the show had opened in London, and Kern contributed additional music for songs interpolated into the New York production. During visits to London in 1905-10 he also composed songs that were first performed in London shows.

Beginning in 1912, the more-experienced Kern began to work on dramatically-concerned shows, including music for plays, and for the first time in his young career, he wrote musicals as the sole composer. This article is about the musical For the French film that translates as "The Girl from Paris" see Une hirondelle a fait le printemps The Girls of Gottenberg King of Cadonia is an English musical in two acts by Frederick Lonsdale, with lyrics by Adrian Ross and Arthur Wimperis and music by Sidney Jones A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. History The Follies were lavish Revues something between later Broadway shows and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville Variety show. A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. His regular lyricist collaborators during this period were Guy Bolton, P. G. Wodehouse, Harry B. Smith, Anne Caldwell, and Howard Dietz. Guy Reginald Bolton ( November 23, 1884 - September 6, 1979) was a British - American Playwright and writer of Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE (15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975 (ˈwʊdhaʊs was an English Comic novelist who enjoyed enormous popular success Harry B Smith ( December 28, 1860 &ndash January 2, 1936) was a renowned and prolific Writer, Lyricist, and Anne Caldwell ( August 30, 1867 - October 22, 1936) also known as Anne Caldwell O'Dea was a librettist and lyricist Howard Dietz ( September 8, 1896 – July 30, 1983) was an American Publicist, Lyricist, and Librettist

During the last phase of his life, Jerome Kern continued to work with his previous collaborators but also met Oscar Hammerstein II and Otto Harbach, with whom Kern wrote his most lasting, memorable, and well-known works. Paul Alfred Rubens (29 April 1875 – 25 February 1917 was an English songwriter and librettist for some of the most popular Edwardian musical comedies. A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters Incidental music is Music in a play, Television program Radio program Video game, film or some other form not primarily musical A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters Incidental music is Music in a play, Television program Radio program Video game, film or some other form not primarily musical Very Good Eddie is a musical with a book by Guy Bolton and Philip Bartholomae music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics by Schuyler Green with additional History The Follies were lavish Revues something between later Broadway shows and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville Variety show. A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. Oh Boy! is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Guy Bolton and P History The Follies were lavish Revues something between later Broadway shows and a more elaborate high class Vaudeville Variety show. A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical Entertainment that combines Music, dance and sketches. Sally is a musical comedy with music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Clifford Grey and book by Guy Bolton (inspired by the 19th century Oscar Hammerstein II (ˈhæmɚstaɪn (born Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein) ( July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was Otto Abels Harbach, born Otto Abels Hauerbach ( August 18, 1873 - January 24, 1963) was an American lyricist and librettist

In addition to revivals of his most popular shows, the music of Jerome Kern was posthumously featured in a variety of revues, musicals, and concerts on and off Broadway. Show Boat is a musical in two acts with music by Jerome Kern and book (based on a novel by Edna Ferber) and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, KBE (15 October 1881 – 14 February 1975 (ˈwʊdhaʊs was an English Comic novelist who enjoyed enormous popular success For the 1934 MGM film see The Cat and the Fiddle. For the Papa John Creach album see The Cat and the Fiddle (album. Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Orchestration is the study or practice of writing Music for Orchestra (or more loosely for any Musical ensemble) or of adapting for orchestra music composed Robert Russell Bennett ( June 15, 1894 – August 18, 1981)was an American Composer and Arranger, best Music in the Air is a musical written by Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics and book and Jerome Kern (music A theatre director or stage director is a practitioner in the Theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production (a play, Roberta is a musical from 1933 with music by Jerome Kern, and lyrics and book by Otto Harbach. A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters Very Warm for May opened at the Alvin Theatre on November 17, 1939. A revival is a restaging of a former hit play at a later date

References

  1. ^ Vocal score for Oh, Lady! Lady!
  2. ^ Hugh Fordin, "Getting to Know Him: A Biography of Oscar Hammerstein II", page 237 [1]
  3. ^ Jerome Kern at Find A Grave
  4. ^ Vocal score for Have a Heart
  5. ^ Vocal score for Good Morning Dearie

External links

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