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Jimmy Van Heusen

Jimmy Van Heusen. Jimmy Van Heusen. Birth name of Edward Chester Babcock Changed his name at age 16, copying after the famous shirt manufacturer Born January 26, 1913 Died February 6, 1990 Musician, songwriter and pianist Wrote the majority of Frank Sinatra’s songs. Musical Background.

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Jimmy Van Heusen

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  1. Jimmy Van Heusen

  2. Jimmy Van Heusen • Birth name of Edward Chester Babcock • Changed his name at age 16, copying after the famous shirt manufacturer • Born January 26, 1913 • Died February 6, 1990 • Musician, songwriter and pianist • Wrote the majority of Frank Sinatra’s songs

  3. Musical Background • Began writing music while in high school • Studied at Cazenovia Seminary and Syracuse University • In mid 1930’s he became a staff pianist for Tin Pan Alley • In the late 1940’s he began working with lyricists of note, writing over 60 songs in 1940 alone • Wrote songs mostly for films, television and theater

  4. Other Background • Was trained as a pilot • During WWII, worked as a fighter test pilot for Lockheed

  5. Lyricist Collaborators • Eddie DeLange “Heaven can wait” “So Help Me” “Darn That Dream” • Johnny Burke “Swinging on a Star” • Sammy Cahn “All the Way” “High Hopes” “Call Me Irresponsible”

  6. Styles of music • Roots in Jazz music Jazz is defined by accent, phrasing, tone color, the “bending” of pitch and rhythm, and the freedom of the individual player to improvise within well-understood limits. • Helped start “Vocalized” Swing music of the 1950’s Swing uses a strong rhythm section of double bass and drums as the anchor for a lead section of brass instruments such as trumpets and trombones, woodwinds including saxophones and clarinets, and sometimes stringed instruments such as violin and guitar, medium to fast tempos, and a "lilting" swing time rhythm.

  7. Bing Crosby • Wrote dozens of songs for Bing Crosby, including Van Heusen’s first Oscar, “Swinging on a Star” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUKHMlbYGA

  8. Frank Sinatra • Wrote a total of 76 songs for Frank Sinatra, including most of his well known work. • Not only did he write songs for Sinatra, he wrote them based on events in Sinatra’s life. • Singer Michael Feinstein said “The thing I find fascinating about them is that Sinatra is famous for changing lyrics and switching around things in songs to make them his own, but he never changed anything in the Van Heusen-Cahn songs.”

  9. Songs • “When No One Cares” – Written when Sinatra was breaking up with Ava Gardner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iitxwTAmelg • “Come Fly With Me” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmQq6yLe2ww Listen for: Swing time, brass and woodwinds leading “voice”, strong and fast tempo

  10. Awards • 14 total nominations for Academy Awards • Of those 14 nominations he won 4 • 1 Emmy, 1 Grammy Award Nomination, 3 Golden Globe Nominations, and 2 Tony Award Nominations

  11. Works Cited • "Jimmy Van Heusen Collection of Musical Works and Papers." UCLA Libraries. Music Libraries.Collection 127-M Web. 24 Apr. 2013. <http://unitproj.library.ucla.edu/music/mlsc/collection.cfm?id=137&f=&xgt>. • Babcock, Brooke. "Jimmy Van Heusen - Biography." n. page. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://jimmyvanheusen.com/biography/>. • Songwriters Hall of Fame, . "Jimmy Van Heusen Biography." Songwriters Hall of Fame. n. page. Web. 25 Apr. 2013. <http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/index.php/exhibits/bio/C100>.

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