Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Harold Arlen

Role / Field:

Master American composer known for crafting enduring songs and the Great American Songbook.

Born:

1905-02-15

Died:

1986-04-23

Century / Era:

1905s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music, who composed over 500 songs, a number of which have become known worldwide. In addition to composing the songs for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz (lyrics by Yip Harburg), including "Over the Rainbow", which won him the Oscar for Best Original Song, he was nominated as composer for 8 other Oscar awards. Arlen is a contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

1 song by the RIAA and the NEA. Arlen was born in Buffalo, New York, the child of a Jewish cantor. His twin brother died the next day. He learned to play the piano as a youth, and formed a band, Hyman Arluck's Snappy Trio, at age 15. He left home at 16 against his parents' wishes; within two years, he was performing on the Crystal Beach lake boat "Canadiana" with his new band, The Southbound Shufflers.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1924, he performed at the Lake Shore manor and co-wrote his first song, "My Gal, My Pal", with his friend Hyman Cheiffetz. They copyrighted it as "My Gal, Won't You Please Come Back to Me?" and attribute the lyrics to Cheiffetz and music...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Alexander Borodin — Shared historical date (02-15 · Died) (1887): Russian Romantic composer, chemist, and physician known for 'Prince Igor' and symphonies.
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• 1905 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1905
• February 15 (02-15) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 15
• 1986 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1986
• April 23 (04-23) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on April 23

Frequently Asked Questions about Harold Arlen