JEROME KERN (1885-1945) was one of the first and most important of American songwriters.

In his life he wrote over 700 songs and his music appeared in over 100 stage productions, dozens of which he created. He was one of the first American popular song composers to write songs for the Broadway stage in 4/4 foxtrot time rather than as sentimental waltzes.

Born and raised in New York, Kern had piano and organ lessons. While in high school, he wrote songs for a school musical and for amateur plays. During 1902-05 he studied at the New York College of Music, publishing his first composition “At The Casino” in 1902. After working as a rehearsal pianist in Broadway theaters and as a songplugger on Tin Pan Alley, Kern began to seriously write music. His “How’d You Like To Spoon with Me” did well in 1905 but that was just the start. He wrote songs for a countless number of different stage productions in New York and London. Kern also wrote songs for silent movies during 1912-19 and was one of the founding members of ASCAP. Kern composed the scores for 16 Broadway shows during 1915-20 and ,while most of his songs from this time period are long forgotten, he had success with “They Didn’t Believe Me.”

Jerome Kern kept very busy during the 1920s. His “Look For The Silver Lining,” caught on and in 1925 he began to collaborate regularly with his longtime lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. In 1927 they wrote the music for Show Boat, a historic show that resulted in such songs as “Make Believe,” “Ol’ Man River,” “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man,” “Why Do I Love You” and “Bill.” It became the most famous of all Jerome Kern musicals.

Kern began to write for Hollywood films in 1929 although he would return to Broadway within a few years. The 1932 film Music In The Air included “The Song Is You” and “I’ve Told Ev’ry Little Star.” Back on Broadway, the 1933 musical Roberta, (which originally starred Bob Hope) introduced “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and “Yesterdays.” His last Broadway show, 1939’s Very Warm For May, included one of Kern’s most famous and important compositions, “All The Things You Are.” Although Jerome Kern did not care for jazz and hated it when jazz instrumentalists changed the notes of his songs and used them as vehicles for solos, ironically most of his best compositions were perfect for jazz. “All The Things You Are” became one of the most utilized of all chord changes in jazz and the song has been kept alive chiefly due to jazz artists.