Harold Arlen | |
---|---|
Born | Hyman Arluck February 15, 1905 Buffalo, New York, U.S. |
Died | April 23, 1986 New York City, U.S. | (aged 81)
Resting place | Ferncliff Cemetery |
Occupation | Composer |
Spouse | |
Children | Adopted his brother's son in 1985[1] |
Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck; February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986) was an American composer of popular music,[2] 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 highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. "Over the Rainbow" was voted the 20th century's No. 1 song by the RIAA and the NEA.[3][4]