Johnny Burke (lyricist)

Johnny Burke ( born October 3, 1908 in Antioch, California, † 25 February 1964 in New York City ) was an American pianist and songwriter. He has collaborated with Sammy Cahn, James V. Monaco and James Van Heusen.

Life and work

Johnny Burke applies, better known as the Great American Songbook from the 1920s to the 1950s as one of the most famous songwriters of popular songs in the United States.

Burke's family moved to Chicago when he was a child. In his youth, he learned to play the piano and took acting classes. He studied at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, where he played in an orchestra piano. After graduating, he worked in 1926 in the Chicago office of the Irving Berlin Publishing Company, as a pianist and song salesman.

Irving Berlin finally brought him to New York City, where he began to write lyrics; while he collaborated with composer Harold Spina. In 1932 it celebrated its first successes with " Shadows on the Swanee ", followed in 1933 by " Annie Does not Live Here Anymore ," her first big hit for Guy Lombardo Orchestra. In 1934 she wrote titled " You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew ", which was a great success for Fats Waller, as well as the song " My Very Good Friend, the Milkman ". For the current bands of the swing era as Ben Pollack, Paul Whiteman and Ozzie Nelson, they wrote a number of other songs.

In 1936 ended the partnership between Burke and Spina, as the copywriter moved to Hollywood to work in the emerging musical film industry. There his first partner was the composer Arthur Johnston, later he worked with James Monaco. But he became famous only by his cooperation with composer Jimmy Van Heusen. The team of Burke and Van Heusen was responsible for many great hits of the late 1930s and the 1940s. Burke worked exclusively for Paramount Pictures, there mainly for the Bing Crosby movies. From this came many successful titles, which later should be frequently performed jazz standards such as " Pennies from Heaven ", " It Could Happen to You ," " But, Beautiful", " Polka, Dots and Moonbeams " and " Here's That Rainy Day. " For a Bob Haggart - instrumental piece he wrote in 1939 has lyrics, the song was called " What's New? " Is a popular standard.

In the 1950s, Burke wrote the lyrics for the song " Scatterbrain " with the music of Frankie Masters, " Keene- Bean" and the classic "What's New? " With Bob Haggart. 1955 Burke wrote the lyrics for the classic song from the jazz pianist Erroll Garner, " Misty ", which would become an Evergreen. The film The Vagabond King was Johnny Burke's last work for Hollywood; He died eight years later at the age of 55 years.

Awards

With the title "Swinging on a Star " with music by Jimmy Van Heusen from the film Going My Way, which starred Bing Crosby, Burke won the Academy Award for Best Song in 1944. Johnny Burke was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.