Jule Styne | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Styne in 1961 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Julius Kerwin Stein (1905-12-31)December 31, 1905 London, England |
| Died | September 20, 1994(1994-09-20) (aged 88) Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Song writer,composer |
| Years active | 1926–1994 |
Spouse | Margaret Styne |
Jule Styne (/ˈdʒuːli/JOO-lee;[1] bornJulius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994)[2] was an English-Americansongwriter andcomposer widely known for a series ofBroadwaymusicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also became successful films:Gypsy,Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, andFunny Girl.
Styne was born to aJewish family[3] inLondon, England.[2] His parents, Anna Kertman and Isadore Stein, were emigrants from Ukraine (then part of theRussian Empire) and ran a small grocery.[4] Even before his family left Britain, he did impressions on the stage of well-known singers, includingHarry Lauder, who saw him perform and advised him to take up the piano.[5] At the age of eight, he moved with his family toChicago, where he began takingpiano lessons. He proved to be aprodigy and performed with the Chicago,[6]St. Louis, andDetroit symphonies before he was 10 years old.
Before Styne attendedChicago Musical College, he had already attracted the attention of another teenager,Mike Todd, later a successful film producer, who commissioned him to write a song for a musical act that he was creating. It was the first of over 1,500 published songs Styne composed in his career. His first hit, "Sunday", was written in 1926.[6]
In 1929, Styne was playing with theBen Pollack band.[7]
Styne was a vocal coach for20th Century Fox,[6] untilDarryl F. Zanuck fired him because vocal coaching was "a luxury, and we're cutting out those luxuries." Zanuck told him he should write songs because "that's forever". Styne established his own dance band, which got him noticed in Hollywood, where he was championed byFrank Sinatra and began a collaboration with lyricistSammy Cahn.[6] He and Cahn wrote many songs for the movies, including "It's Been a Long, Long Time" (No. 1 for three weeks forHarry James and His Orchestra in 1945), "Five Minutes More", and theOscar-winningtitle song forThree Coins in the Fountain (1954).[6] Ten of his songs were Oscar-nominated, many of them written with Cahn, including "I've Heard That Song Before" (No. 1 for 13 weeks for Harry James and His Orchestra in 1943), "I'll Walk Alone", "It's Magic" (a No. 2 hit forDoris Day in 1948), and "I Fall In Love Too Easily". He collaborated withLeo Robin on the score for the 1955 musical filmMy Sister Eileen.[6]
In 1947, Styne wrote his first score for aBroadway musical,High Button Shoes, with Cahn, and over the next several decades wrote the scores for many Broadway shows, most notablyGentlemen Prefer Blondes,Peter Pan (additional music),Bells Are Ringing,Gypsy,Do Re Mi,Funny Girl,Lorelei,Sugar (with a story based on the movieSome Like It Hot, but all new music), and the Tony-winningHallelujah, Baby!.[6]
Styne wrote original music for the short-lived themedamusement parkFreedomland U.S.A. that opened on June 19, 1960.
His collaborators includedSammy Cahn,Leo Robin,Betty Comden andAdolph Green,Stephen Sondheim,Bob Hilliard, andBob Merrill.[6]
He wrote career-altering Broadway scores for a wide variety of major stars, includingPhil Silvers,Carol Channing,Mary Martin,Judy Holliday,Ethel Merman, and an up-and-comingBarbra Streisand.
He was the subject ofThis Is Your Life for British television in 1978 when he was surprised byEamonn Andrews in New York'sTimes Square.
Styne married Englishwoman Margaret Brown (born inTorquay) and they remained married until his death. Styne died of heart failure in New York City at the age of 88.[8] His archive – including original hand-written compositions, letters, and production materials – is housed at theHarry Ransom Center.[9]
Margaret Styne oversaw Styne's estate until she died on February 20, 2022.[10]
Styne was elected to theSongwriters Hall of Fame in 1972[11] and theAmerican Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981,[12] and he was a recipient of aDrama Desk Special Award and theKennedy Center Honors in 1990. Additionally, Styne won the 1955 Oscar for Best Music, Original Song for "Three Coins in the Fountain", and "Hallelujah, Baby!" won the 1968 Tony Award for Best Original Score.[6]
A selection of the many songs that Styne wrote:
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