James Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock; January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

. He wrote songs for

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

and

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

, and won an Emmy and four Academy Awards for Best Original Song.

Life and career

Born in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, Onondaga County, New York, United States. It is the fifth-most populous city in the state of New York following New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffa ...

, Van Heusen began writing music while at high school. He renamed himself at age 16, after the shirt makers

Phillips-Van Heusen PVH Corp., formerly known as the Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation, is an American clothing company which owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Warner's, Olga and True & Co. The company also licenses brands such as Kenneth Cole New Y ...

, to use as his on-air name during local shows. His close friends called him "Chet".Coppula, C. (2014). ''Jimmy Van Heusen: Swinging on a Star''. Nashville: Twin Creek Books. Jimmy was raised

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...

. Studying at Cazenovia Seminary and

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

, he became friends with Jerry Arlen, the younger brother of

Harold Arlen Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film ...

. With the elder Arlen's help, Van Heusen wrote songs for the

Cotton Club The Cotton Club was a New York City nightclub from 1923 to 1940. It was located on 142nd Street and Lenox Avenue (1923–1936), then briefly in the midtown Theater District (1936–1940).Elizabeth Winter"Cotton Club of Harlem (1923- )" Blac ...

revue, including "Harlem Hospitality". He then became a staff pianist for some of the

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It originally referred to a specific place: West 28th Street ...

publishers, and wrote "It's the Dreamer in Me" (1938) with lyrics by

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peop ...

. Collaborating with lyricist

Eddie DeLange Eddie DeLange (''né'' Edgar DeLange Moss; 15 January 1904 – 15 July 1949) was an American bandleader and lyricist. Famous artists who recorded some of DeLange's songs include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Duk ...

, on songs such as "Heaven Can Wait", "So Help Me", and "

Darn That Dream "Darn That Dream" is a popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Eddie DeLange. It was published in 1939 and ranked No. 1 in 1940 when a recording was released by Benny Goodman in an arrangement by Eddie Sauter with Mildred Bailey ...

", his work became more prolific, writing over 60 songs in 1940 alone. It was in 1940 that he teamed up with the lyricist Johnny Burke. Burke and Van Heusen moved to Hollywood and wrote for stage musicals and films throughout the 1940s and early 1950s, winning an

Academy Award for Best Original Song The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...

for "

Swinging on a Star "Swinging on a Star" is an American pop standard with music composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1944 film '' Going My Way'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year, ...

" (1944). Their songs were also featured in many

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

films including some of the ''

Road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

'' films and ''

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...

'' (1949). He was also a pilot of some accomplishment; He met Joe Hornsby, who worked for the FAA in Los Angeles CA, (Joe was the son of the famous

Dan Hornsby Issac Daniel Hornsby (1 February 1900 – 18 May 1951) was an American singer songwriter, musician, recording artist, producer and arranger, studio engineer, band leader & band member. Discovered talent as A&R man with Columbia Records, and radi ...

, the father of

Nikki Hornsby Nikki Hornsby is an American musician. She has been active in the pop, Americana, country, and blues genres as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist. She is a Broadcast Music, Inc. associated songwriter and has written over 1000 songs. Early y ...

), because of his music career with his interest in flying. Joe Hornsby sponsored Jimmy into an exclusive pilots club called the

Quiet Birdmen The Quiet Birdmen is a secretive club in the United States for male aviators. Founded in 1921 by World War I pilots, the organization meets in various locations, never announced to the public. Members, called QBs, must be invited to join, and they ...

which held meetings at ''Proud Bird'' restaurant at LAX and these men were lifelong friends until Joe and his wife Dorothea's death in the late 1970s. Using his birth name, Jimmy also worked as a part-time

test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...

for

Lockheed Corporation The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but ot ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Van Heusen then teamed up with lyricist

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premi ...

. Their three Academy Awards for Best Song were won for "

All the Way All the Way may refer to: Film and television * ''All the Way'', an Australian film of 1998 directed by Marque Owen * ''All the Way'' (2001 film), a film directed by Shi Runjiu * ''All the Way'' (film), a 2016 adaptation of Robert Schenkkan's p ...

" (1957) from ''

The Joker Is Wild ''The Joker Is Wild'' is a 1957 American musical drama film directed by Charles Vidor, starring Frank Sinatra, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain, and Eddie Albert, and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is about Joe E. Lewis, the popular si ...

'', " High Hopes" (1959) from ''

A Hole in the Head ''A Hole in the Head'' (1959) is a DeLuxe Color comedy film, shown in CinemaScope, directed by Frank Capra, featuring Frank Sinatra, Edward G. Robinson, Eleanor Parker, Keenan Wynn, Carolyn Jones, Thelma Ritter, Dub Taylor, Ruby Dandridge, ...

'', and " Call Me Irresponsible" (1963) from ''

Papa's Delicate Condition ''Papa's Delicate Condition'' is a 1963 American comedy film starring Jackie Gleason and Glynis Johns. It was an adaptation of the Corinne Griffith memoir of the same name, about her father and growing up in Texarkana, Texas. Jimmy Van Heusen ( ...

''. Their songs were also featured in ''

Ocean's Eleven ''Ocean's Eleven'' is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Ted Griffin. The first installment in the ''Ocean's'' film trilogy, it is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. The ...

'' (1960), which included

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

's version of " Ain't That a Kick in the Head", and in '' Robin and the 7 Hoods'' (1964), in which

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

sang the Oscar-nominated " My Kind of Town". Cahn and Van Heusen also wrote "

Love and Marriage "Love and Marriage" is a 1955 song with lyrics by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen. It is published by Barton Music Corporation ( ASCAP). Frank Sinatra versions "Love and Marriage" was introduced by Frank Sinatra in the 1955 televi ...

" (1955), "To Love and Be Loved", " Come Fly with Me", "

Only the Lonely "Only the Lonely (Know the Way I Feel)" is a 1960 song written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Orbison's recording of the song, produced by Fred Foster for Monument Records, was the first major hit for the singer. It was described by ''The Ne ...

", and " Come Dance with Me" with many of their compositions being the title songs for

's albums of the late 1950s. Van Heusen wrote the music for five

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musicals: ''Swingin' the Dream'' (1939); ''Nellie Bly'' (1946), '' Carnival in Flanders'' (1953), ''

Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...

'' (1965), and '' Walking Happy'' (1966). While Van Heusen did not achieve nearly the success on Broadway that he did in Hollywood, at least two songs from Van Heusen musicals can legitimately be considered standards: "

" from ''Swingin' the Dream''; " Here's That Rainy Day" from ''Carnival in Flanders''. He became an inductee of the

Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...

in 1971. Van Heusen composed over 1000 songs of which 50 songs became standards. Van Heusen songs are featured in over five hundred and eighty films.

Personal life

Van Heusen was known to be quite a ladies' man.

James Kaplan James C. Kaplan, Jr. (born September 10, 1951) is an American novelist, journalist, and biographer. Biography He was born in New York City and grew up in rural Pennsylvania and suburban New Jersey. He matriculated at New York University and grad ...

in his book ''Frank: The Voice'' (2010) wrote, "He played piano beautifully, wrote gorgeously poignant songs about romance...he had a fat wallet, he flew his own plane; he never went home alone." Van Heusen was once described by

Angie Dickinson Angeline Dickinson (née Brown; born September 30, 1931) is an American actress. She began her career on television, appearing in many anthology series during the 1950s, before gaining her breakthrough role in ''Gun the Man Down'' (1956) wit ...

, "You would not pick him over

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

any day, but his magnetism was irresistible." In his 20s he began to shave his head when he started losing his hair, a practice ahead of its time. He once said "I would rather write songs than do anything else – even fly." Kaplan also reported that he was a "

hypochondriac Hypochondriasis or hypochondria is a condition in which a person is excessively and unduly worried about having a serious illness. An old concept, the meaning of hypochondria has repeatedly changed. It has been claimed that this debilitating cond ...

of the first order" who kept a

Merck Merck refers primarily to the German Merck family and three companies founded by the family, including: * the Merck Group, a German chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences company founded in 1668 ** Merck Serono (known as EMD Serono in the Unite ...

manual at his bedside, injected himself with vitamins and painkillers, and had surgical procedures for ailments real and imagined. It was Van Heusen who rushed Sinatra to the hospital after Sinatra, in despair over the breakup of his marriage to

Ava Gardner Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...

, slashed one of his wrists in a

suicide attempt A suicide attempt is an attempt to die by suicide that results in survival. It may be referred to as a "failed" or "unsuccessful" suicide attempt, though these terms are discouraged by mental health professionals for implying that a suicide res ...

in November 1953. However, this event was never mentioned by Van Heusen in any radio or print interviews given by him. Van Heusen himself married for the first time in 1969, at age 56, to Bobbe Brock, originally one of the

Brox Sisters The Brox Sisters were an American trio of singing sisters, enjoying their greatest popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s. Early life The sisters were Lorayne (born Eunice, November 11, 1901 – June 14, 1993), Bobbe (born Josephine, Novembe ...

and widow of the late producer Bill Perlberg.

Death

Van Heusen retired in the late 1970s and died in 1990 in

Rancho Mirage, California Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The population was 17,218 at the 2010 census, up from 13,249 at the 2000 census, but the seasonal (part-time) population can exceed 20,000. Incorporated in 1973 and locate ...

, from complications following a stroke at the age of 77. His wife, Bobbe, survived him. Van Heusen is buried near the Sinatra family in

Desert Memorial Park Desert Memorial Park is a cemetery in Cathedral City, California, United States, near Palm Springs. Opening in 1956 and receiving its first interment in 1957,The Palm Springs Cemetery District itself was covers 504 square miles, including Palm Spr ...

, in

Cathedral City, California Cathedral City, colloquially known as "Cat City", is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. Situated between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage, the city has the second larg ...

. His grave marker reads

Academy Awards

Van Heusen was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Song An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

14 times in 12 different years (in both 1945 and 1964 he was nominated for two songs), and won four times: in 1944, 1957, 1959, and 1963. ;Wins * 1944 – "

" (lyrics by Johnny Burke) for ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest tak ...

'' * 1957 – "

" (lyrics by

) for ''

'' * 1959 – " High Hopes" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for ''

'' * 1963 – " Call Me Irresponsible" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for ''

'' ;Nominations * 1945 – "Sleigh Ride in July" (lyrics by Johnny Burke) from the film ''

Belle of the Yukon ''Belle of the Yukon'' is a 1944 American comedy musical Western film produced and directed by William A. Seiter and starring Randolph Scott, Gypsy Rose Lee, Dinah Shore and Bob Burns. Based on a story by Houston Branch and set in the days of ...

'' * 1945 – "

Aren't You Glad You're You? "Aren’t You Glad You’re You?" is a 1945 popular standard composed by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. Van Heusen and Burke wrote the song for the film ''The Bells of St. Mary's'', directed by Leo McCarey, and starring Bing Cro ...

" (lyrics by Johnny Burke) from the film '' Bells of St. Mary's'' * 1955 – " (Love Is) The Tender Trap" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) introduced by Frank Sinatra in the film '' The Tender Trap'' * 1958 – "To Love and Be Loved" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film ''

Some Came Running ''Some Came Running'' is a novel by James Jones, published in 1958. It was Jones's second published novel, following his award-winning debut '' From Here to Eternity''. It is the story of a war veteran with literary aspirations who returns in ...

'' * 1960 – " The Second Time Around" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film '' High Time'' * 1961 – "Pocketful of Miracles" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film ''

Pocketful of Miracles ''Pocketful of Miracles'' is a 1961 American comedy film starring Glenn Ford and Bette Davis, produced and directed by Frank Capra, filmed in Panavision. The screenplay by Hal Kanter and Harry Tugend was based on Robert Riskin's screenplay for ...

'' * 1964 – "Where Love Has Gone" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film '' Where Love Has Gone''. * 1964 – " My Kind of Town" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film '' Robin and the 7 Hoods'' * 1967 – "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film ''

Thoroughly Modern Millie ''Thoroughly Modern Millie'' is a 1967 American musical- romantic comedy film directed by George Roy Hill and starring Julie Andrews. The screenplay, by Richard Morris based on the 1956 British musical ''Chrysanthemum'', follows a naïve you ...

'' * 1968 – "Star" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) for the film '' Star!''

Emmy Award

He won one

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Best Musical Contribution, for the song "

" (1955) (lyrics by

), written for the 1955 ''

Producers' Showcase ''Producers' Showcase'' is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth ...

'' production of ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 thro ...

''.

Other awards

He was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in 1965 for Best Musical Score Written for a Motion Picture or TV show for ''

Robin and the Seven Hoods ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by Gordon Douglas (director), Gordon Douglas and starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Bing Crosby. The picture features Peter Falk, Barbara Rush, and an uncre ...

''. He was also nominated for three Tony awards: * Best Musical in 1966 for ''

'' * Best Musical in 1967 for '' Walking Happy'' * Best Composer and Lyricist in 1967 '' Walking Happy'' He was nominated three times for a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

. * 1965 – "Where Love Has Gone" (lyrics by

) for the film '' Where Love Has Gone'' * 1968 – "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (lyrics by

) for the film ''

''. * 1969 – "Star" (lyrics by

) for the film '' Star!''. He won a

Christopher Award The Christopher Award (established 1949) is presented to the producers, directors, and writers of books, films and television specials that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit". It is given by The Christophers, a Christian organization ...

in 1955 for the song "Love and Marriage".

Namesakes

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

's character in ''

The Road to Hong Kong ''The Road to Hong Kong'' is a 1962 British semi-musical comedy film directed by Norman Panama and starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, as well as Joan Collins, with an extended cameo featuring Dorothy Lamour in the setting of Hong Kong under Br ...

'' (1962) is named Chester Babcock, in reference to Van Heusen's birth name.

Songs

With lyricist
Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premi ...

* " Ain't That a Kick in the Head" * "All My Tomorrows" * "

" * " Call Me Irresponsible" * "Come Blow Your Horn" * " Come Dance with Me" * " Come Fly with Me" * "Eee-O Eleven" * "Everybody Has the Right to Be Wrong!" * " High Hopes" * "I'll Only Miss Her When I Think of Her" * "Incurably Romantic" * "I Wouldn't Trade Christmas" * "Last Dance" * "Let's Make Love" * "

" * " (Love Is) The Tender Trap" * "Mr. Booze" * " My Kind of Town" * "Only the Lonely" * "Pocketful Of Miracles" * " Ring-a-Ding Ding!" * "The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World" * "The Second Time Around" * " The Secret of Christmas" * " September of My Years" * "Sleigh Ride in July" * “Specialization” * “Star!” * “Style” * "There's Love and There's Love and There's Love" * "Thoroughly Modern Millie" * "To Love and Be Loved" * "Where Love Has Gone" * "Who Was That lady?"

With lyricist Johnny Burke

* "

" * " But Beautiful" * "Busy Doing Nothing" * "

" * " Here's That Rainy Day" (from '' Carnival in Flanders'') * "

Imagination Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...

" * " It Could Happen to You" * " It's Always You" * "

Like Someone in Love "Like Someone in Love" is a popular song composed in 1944 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was written (along with "Sleigh Ride in July") for the 1944 film, ''Belle of the Yukon'', where it was sung by Dinah Shore. It was a hi ...

" * "Life Is So Peculiar" * " Moonlight Becomes You" * "

Oh, You Crazy Moon ''Oh, You Crazy Moon'' or ''Oh! You Crazy Moon'' is a traditional pop song by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke. It was recorded by Tommy Dorsey in 1939, with at least six other recorded versions following Dorsey's in 1939. It was rec ...

" * "

Personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, mos ...

" * "

Polka Dots and Moonbeams "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" is a popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke, published in 1940. It was Frank Sinatra's first hit recorded with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The song is one of the top 100 most-frequently r ...

" * " Sunday, Monday, or Always" * "

" * "That Christmas Feeling" * "Welcome To My Dream" * "

(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco "(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco" is a song composed in 1942 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke, for the film ''Road to Morocco'', in which it was performed by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Crosby recorded a solo version of the song ...

" * "You Lucky People You" * "You May Not Love Me" * "A Friend Of Yours" * "You're In Love With Someone"

With lyricist
Eddie DeLange Eddie DeLange (''né'' Edgar DeLange Moss; 15 January 1904 – 15 July 1949) was an American bandleader and lyricist. Famous artists who recorded some of DeLange's songs include Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Duk ...

* "All I Remember Is You" * "All This and Heaven Too" * "

" * "Deep in a Dream" * "Heaven Can Wait" * "I'm Good for Nothing (But Love)" * "Shake Down the Stars" * "So Help Me"

With others

* "Blue Rain" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer) * "Far Away" (lyrics by David Kapp) * "I Could Have Told You" (lyrics by Carl Sigman) * "

I Thought About You "I Thought About You" is a 1939 popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Background It was one of three collaborations Van Heusen and Mercer wrote for the Mercer-Morris publishing company started by Mercer and f ...

" (lyrics by Johnny Mercer) * " It's the Dreamer in Me" (lyrics by Jimmy Van Heusen; music by

) * "

Nancy (With the Laughing Face) "Nancy (with the Laughing Face)" is a song composed in 1942 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Phil Silvers, called, originally, "Bessie (With The Laughing Face)". It was originally recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1944. Many, perhaps most, people— ...

" (lyrics by

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

) * "Not as a Stranger" (lyrics by Buddy Kaye) * "Sha-Sha" King / Kutz (minor hit for The Andrews Sisters and Jimmy Dorsey 1938)

Independent

* "It's 1200 miles from Palm Springs to Texas"

Notes

References

(2010). ''Frank: The Voice'', pp. 49, 666–669. *

Wilfred Sheed Wilfrid John Joseph Sheed (27 December 1930 – 19 January 2011Christopher Lehmann-Haup ''The New York Times'', 19 January 2011) was an English-born American novelist and essayist. Biography Sheed was born in London, to Frank Sheed and Maisie ...

(2007). ''The House That George Built'', "Jimmy Van Heusen: On The Radio With Bing and Frank" pp. 225–251. * Alec Wilder (1990). ''American Popular Song'', "The Great Craftsmen: Jimmy Van Heusen" pp. 442–451. * William Ruhlmann (2001)
"Van Heusen, James “Jimmy” (originally, Babcock, Edward Chester)."
''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians''. Gale. Retrieved January 9, 2013, from

HighBeam Research HighBeam Research was a paid search engine and full text online archive owned by Gale, a subsidiary of Cengage, for thousands of newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines, and encyclopedias in English. It was headquar ...

Songwriters Hall Of Fame Website

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Heusen, Jimmy 1913 births 1990 deaths American musical theatre composers Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Broadway composers and lyricists Burials at Desert Memorial Park Cazenovia College alumni Nottingham High School (Syracuse, New York) alumni Musicians from Syracuse, New York Songwriters from New York (state) Syracuse University alumni Hypochondriacs 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American composers American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters