Gus Kahn | |
|---|---|
 Kahn circa 1927 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gustav Gerson Kahn |
| Born | (1886-11-06)November 6, 1886 Koblenz,German Empire |
| Died | October 8, 1941(1941-10-08) (aged 54) Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Lyricist |
Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886 – October 8, 1941) was an Americanlyricist who contributed a number of songs to theGreat American Songbook, including "Pretty Baby", "Ain't We Got Fun?", "Carolina in the Morning", "Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo' Bye!)", "My Buddy" "I'll See You in My Dreams", "It Had to Be You", "Yes Sir, That's My Baby", "Love Me or Leave Me", "Makin' Whoopee", "My Baby Just Cares for Me", "I'm Through with Love", "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream".
Kahn was born in 1886 inBruschied, in theRhine Province of theKingdom of Prussia, the son of Theresa (Mayer) and Isaac Kahn, a cattle farmer.[1] TheJewish family emigrated to the United States and moved toChicago in 1890. After graduating from high school, he worked as a clerk in a mail order business before launching one of the most successful and prolific careers fromTin Pan Alley.[2] Kahn marriedGrace LeBoy in 1916 and they had two children, Donald and Irene.
In his early days, Kahn wrote special material forvaudeville. In 1913 he began a productive partnership with the well-established composerEgbert Van Alstyne, with whom he created several notable hits of the era, including "Memories" 1915 song and, along with Tony Jackson, "Pretty Baby." Later, he began writing lyrics for composer and bandleaderIsham Jones. This partnership led to one of Kahn's best-known works, "I'll See You in My Dreams," which became the title ofa 1951 movie based on his life, starringDanny Thomas as Kahn andDoris Day as his wife, Grace LeBoy Kahn.[2]
Throughout the 1920s, Kahn continued to contribute to Broadway scores such asHolka Polka (1925),Kitty's Kisses (1926),Artists and Models (1927),Whoopee! (1928), andShow Girl (1929). He went on to write song lyrics for several movies, primarily forMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[2]
By 1933, Kahn had become a full-time motion picture songwriter, contributing to movies such asFlying Down to Rio,Thanks a Million,Kid Millions,A Day at the Races,Everybody Sing,One Night of Love,Three Smart Girls,Let's Sing Again,San Francisco,Naughty Marietta, andZiegfeld Girl.[2]
He also collaborated with co-lyricistIra Gershwin and with some of the finest composers, including Grace LeBoy Kahn (his wife),Richard A. Whiting,Buddy DeSylva,Al Jolson, Raymond Egan,Ted Fio Rito, Ernie Erdman,Neil Moret,Vincent Youmans,George Gershwin,Harry Akst,Harry M. Woods,Edward Eliscu,Victor Schertzinger,Arthur Johnston,Bronisław Kaper,Jerome Kern,Walter Jurmann,Sigmund Romberg, andHarry Warren, though his primary collaborator wasWalter Donaldson.[2]
He had a long friendship withWalter Donaldson. Their first collaboration was the songMy Buddy in 1922. They went on to compose over one hundred songs together.[3]
Kahn died in Beverly Hills, California, on October 8, 1941, of a heart attack at age 54. He was interred in theForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery inGlendale, California.
His catalog contained some of the greatest collections of songs from the first half of the 20th century, and it is for this reason that he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, nearly 30 years after his death. He was survived by his son, songwriter and musician Donald Kahn, who died at the age of 89 on April 11, 2008, inBeverly Hills, California. His daughter, Irene, was married toArthur Marx, the son ofGroucho Marx.[4]
Gus Kahn's most famous songs include "My Buddy" (1922) with music by Walter Donaldson; "It Had To Be You" (1924), with music byIsham Jones; and "Makin' Whoopee" (1928), with music by Walter Donaldson. Kahn was also the lyricist for theTed Healy/Three Stooges short filmBeer and Pretzels (1933), with music by Al Goodhart. Kahn has been incorrectly associated with the song "Side by Side", which has words and music byHarry M. Woods.
Kahn's papers are housed at theGreat American Songbook Foundation.[5]
Danny Thomas played Kahn oppositeDoris Day as Grace LeBoy in the 1951 filmI'll See You in my Dreams.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |