Bart Howard

Bart Howard, Joseph Howard actually Gustafson ( born June 1, 1915 in Burlington ( Iowa), † 23 February 2004 in Carmel (New York)), was the composer and writer of the famous jazz standard Fly Me to the Moon.

Life

From 1931 to 1934 Howard was a pianist a dance band that toured the United States. After that he went to become a film music composer to Los Angeles. But he became musical accompanist, first of Rae Bourbon and later in New York by the comedienne Elizabeth Talbot -Martin. Cole Porter is said to have advised him to sing his own songs.

Mabel Mercer interpreted his song If You Leave Paris. From 1941 he spent four years in the U.S. Army before he was hired in 1945 by Mercer as their musical accompaniment. In 1951 he was hired as a piano player at the Blue Angel Club in Manhattan and accompanied among others Johnny Mathis, Eartha Kitt and Felicia Sanders, who sometimes also recited his compositions. Buried he is on the Lanes Chapel Cemetery in Clarksville, Texas.

Fly me to the Moon

His song Fly Me to the Moon, which was originally titled In Other Words was recorded about 500 times, including by artists such as Nancy Wilson ( 1959), Peggy Lee ( on the Ed Sullivan Show ) and Frank Sinatra ( 1961).