Van Heusen, Jimmy
  b. Jan. 26, 1913, Syracuse, N.Y., U.S.
  d. Feb. 7, 1990, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

 byname of EDWARD CHESTER BABCOCK, U.S. songwriter who composed for films,
 stage musicals, and recordings that most often featured singers Bing Crosby and
 Frank Sinatra.

 Van Heusen worked as a staff pianist at music publishing companies in New York City
 before collaborating with lyricist Eddie de Lange to write songs, including the popular
 "Darn That Dream," for a Broadway show Swingin' the Dream. The next year "Polka
 Dots and Moonbeams," "All This and Heaven Too," "Shake Down the Stars," and
 "Imagination" helped to establish him as one of the most successful and prolific
 composers; indeed, in one season he released 60 songs. With his lyricist partner
 (1940-53) Johnny Burke he wrote the songs for 23 Crosby films; in 1954 he began
 collaborating with lyricist Sammy Cahn.

 Altogether he was credited with composing 76 songs for his friend Sinatra, including
 "The Tender Trap" and "Come Fly with Me." Van Heusen won Oscars for composing
 "Swinging on a Star" (1944), "All the Way" (1957), "High Hopes" (1959), and "Call Me
 Irresponsible" (1963), and an Emmy for "Love and Marriage" (1956).

Jimmy Van Heusen

     But Beautiful

     It Could Happen To You

     Like Someone In Love

     Look To Your Heart

     Here's That Rainy Day

     More Than Likely

     ( The ) Songs I Love

     Swingin' On a Star

     When Is Sometime?
 
 

     Jimmy Van Heusen (1913 - 1990) Born as Edward Chester Babcock in Syracuse, New York. Van Heusen (he took his
     name from the shirt manufacturer) began writing songs for films in 1940, first in partnership with Johnny Burke
     and then, from 1954, Sammy Cahn. Oscar-winning compositions include "Swinging on a Star" from "Going My
     Way" (1944) and "High Hopes" from "A Hole in the Head" (1959). He wrote 76 tunes recorded by Frank Sinatra
     (more than any other composer) and the songs for six of the seven Crosby-Hope "Road" pictures.
 

Biography

Jimmy Van Heusen was born in Syracuse, New York in 1913 as Edward Chester Babcock. He adopted his professional name
at the age of 15 when he became a part time radio announcer. "Van Heusen" was taken from the name of the shirt company. In
1938, while working for Remick Publishing, Inc., Van Heusen met Jimmy Dorsey and wrote his first hit "It's the Dreamer in
Me". This commenced his three-decade long career writing Tin Pan Alley hits, movie and show tunes. He won Oscars for
"Swinging on a Star", "High Hopes", and "Call Me Irresponsible", and an Emmy for "Love and Marriage". Van Heusen wrote
most of his songs with two prominent lyricists - Johnny Burke and Sammy Cahn, many of which were written for the two
baritones Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Jimmy Van Heusen died in 1990.