American Popular Song Lyricists: Oral Histories, 1920s-1960s

The first half of the twentieth century was filled with drama, excitement, heartbreak and joy–emotions that all fed into the themes of America’s popular music. This two-volume history contains biographies of the leading American composers and lyricists, the gifted men and women who wrote the great popular songs from the 1920s to the 1960s. Featured in this volume are interviews with many of the legendary lyricists from Tin Pan Alley, Hollywood and Broadway. Among these are such writing teams as Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and Jerry Livingston and Ray Evans, and such individuals as Harold Adamson, E.Y. Harburg, Gus Kahn, Leo Robin and Paul Francis Webster. Included are photographs and rare sheet music reproductions, as well as fascinating information on the stories behind the songs.