Role

:

Composer

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

January 27, 1885 in New York City, NY

Death

:

November 11, 1945 in New York City, NY

Genre

:

Vocal

 

Jerome Kern was an American composer of musical theater and popular music. He was born on January 27, 1885, in New York City to a German-Jewish family. His father, Henry Kern, was a successful businessman, and his mother, Fannie Kern, was a pianist and music teacher. From a young age, Kern showed a talent for music, and he began taking piano lessons at the age of six. Kern attended the New York College of Music, where he studied composition and piano. After graduating, he worked as a rehearsal pianist and arranger for various musical theater productions. In 1904, he made his debut as a composer with the song "How'd You Like to Spoon With Me?" for the musical "The Earl and the Girl." Kern's breakthrough came in 1914 with the musical "The Girl from Utah," which featured the hit song "They Didn't Believe Me." The song became a popular standard and established Kern as a leading composer of musical theater. Over the next two decades, Kern composed a string of successful musicals, including "Sally" (1920), "Sunny" (1925), and "Show Boat" (1927). "Show Boat" was a landmark in the history of musical theater. It was the first musical to integrate songs and story in a seamless way, and it dealt with serious themes such as racism and miscegenation. The show's score included such classics as "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," and "Make Believe." "Show Boat" was a critical and commercial success and has been revived numerous times on Broadway and in regional theaters. Kern's other notable works include "Roberta" (1933), which featured the song "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and "Very Warm for May" (1939), which included the song "All the Things You Are." Kern also wrote music for Hollywood films, including the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals "Swing Time" (1936) and "Top Hat" (1935). Kern was known for his melodic gift and his ability to write songs that were both catchy and emotionally resonant. He was also a pioneer in the use of syncopation and jazz rhythms in musical theater. Kern's influence can be heard in the work of later composers such as George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, and Stephen Sondheim. Kern was married twice. His first marriage, to Eva Leale, ended in divorce in 1912. In 1910, he married the actress and singer Eva Le Gallienne, with whom he had a tempestuous relationship. The couple divorced in 1929, but they remained close friends and collaborators until Kern's death. Kern suffered a stroke in 1945 and died on November 11 of that year. He was 60 years old. Kern's legacy as a composer of musical theater and popular music is secure, and his songs continue to be performed and recorded by artists of all genres. In 1946, the first Tony Awards were presented, and Kern was posthumously awarded a special Tony for his contributions to the American musical theater.

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