Biografia
A composer, songwriter, conductor, pianist, and arranger, he studied at the Peabody Conservatory on a scholarship. Early in his career, he played piano in film theatres and later served as choral director and music director for the Aborne Opera Company. He worked as a conductor and arranger for Al Jolson and led the orchestras for Broadway musicals such as "Blossom Time," "My Dream Girl," "Good News," "The Band Wagon," "The New Moon," "Ziegfeld Follies," and "George White's Scandals." His Broadway compositions include "Linger Longer Lettie," "Cinderella on Broadway," "The Whirl of New York," "The Passing Show of 1922," "The Lady in Ermine," "Dew Drop Inn," "Artists and Models of 1925," and "Gay Paree." Beginning in 1932, he conducted for radio and expanded to television conducting in 1949, alongside producing numerous recordings. After joining ASCAP in 1922, he collaborated primarily with Edgar Smith, Cyrus Wood, and Clifford Grey. His well-known songs include "When Hearts Are Young," "Love Has Found My Heart," "I Came, I Saw, I Fell," "Call of Love," "Twilight," "The Lady in Ermine," and "Who Knows Why.
