Jimmy Van Heusen (Born Edward Babcock)
January 26, 1913 – February 7, 1990
Jimmy Van Heusen was an Emmy nominated, Golden Globe nominated and multi-Academy Award winning composer of film and television music. After college, Van Heusen went to work playing the piano for several publishers of the storied Tin Pan Alley. During that time, he became an extremely prolific tunesmith, ultimately penning the music for over 800 songs. More than 50 of those have become standards. Over the course of his career, he collaborated with the likes of Johnny Mercer, Phil Silvers, and most famously, Sammy Cahn. Fourteen songs for which Van Heusen wrote the music were nominated for Academy Awards for best song. Those that won were “Swinging on a Star,” “All the Way,” “High Hopes,” and “Call Me Irresponsible.” Other famous standards of his include “Come Fly With Me,” “Love and Marriage,” “You My Love,” “Love Is The Tender Trap,” and “It Could Happen To You.” Jimmy Van Heusen passed away at the age of 77 on February 7, 1990. A close friend of Frank Sinatra’s, he is buried in the Sinatra family plot.