(born Jan. 27, 1885, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Nov. 11, 1945, New York City) U.S. composer, one of the major U.S. creators of the
musical. Kern studied music in his native New York City and in Heidelberg, Ger., and he later gained theatrical experience in London. Returning to New York, he worked as a pianist and salesman for music publishers and wrote new numbers for European operettas. In 1912 he composed
The Red Petticoat, the first musical to contain only his own music; its success was surpassed by
Very Good Eddie (1915). Subsequent musicals include
Oh, Boy! (1917) and
Sally (1920). In 1927 his
Show Boat, based on
Edna Ferber's novel and with lyrics by
Oscar Hammerstein, became the first American musical with a serious plot drawn from a literary source; it represents a landmark in the history of musical theatre. It was followed by
The Cat and the Fiddle (1931),
Music in the Air (1932), and
Roberta (1933). After 1933 he composed for Hollywood. Kern's classic songs include “The Song Is You,” “All the Things You Are,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,” and “Ol' Man River.”
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica
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