Jule Styne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jule Styne
Background information
Birth name	Julius Kerwin Stein
Born	(1905-12-31)December 31, 1905 London, England
Died	September 20, 1994(1994-09-20) (aged 88) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Song writer, composer
Years active	1926–1994
Associated acts	Sammy Cahn Leo Robin Betty Comden Adolph Green Stephen Sondheim Bob Merrill

Jule Styne (born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was a famous English-American songwriter and composer. He is best known for writing music for many popular Broadway musicals. Some of his most famous shows include Gypsy, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and Funny Girl. Many of his musicals were also made into successful movies.

Early Life of Jule Styne

Styne was born into a Jewish family in London, England. His parents, Anna Kertman and Isadore Stein, came from Ukraine. They ran a small grocery store. Even as a young boy, Jule would perform impressions of famous singers.

One singer, Harry Lauder, saw him perform. Lauder told him he should learn to play the piano. When Jule was eight, his family moved to Chicago, where he started piano lessons. He was a natural talent, a true child prodigy. This means he was incredibly skilled at a young age. Before he was ten, he played with big orchestras like the Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit Symphonies.

Jule Styne's Music Career

Before Jule Styne went to the Chicago Musical College, he caught the eye of another teenager, Mike Todd. Todd later became a successful film producer. He asked Styne to write a song for a musical act he was creating. This was the very first of more than 1,500 songs Styne would write in his career. His first big hit song, "Sunday," was written in 1926.

In 1929, Styne played music with the Ben Pollack band. Later, he worked as a vocal coach for the film studio 20th Century Fox. The studio head, Darryl F. Zanuck, told him to focus on writing songs. Zanuck believed that songs "last forever."

Styne then started his own dance band. This helped him get noticed in Hollywood. Famous singer Frank Sinatra supported him. Styne began working with lyricist Sammy Cahn. Together, they wrote many songs for movies. These included "It's Been a Long, Long Time" and "Five Minutes More." They also wrote the Oscar-winning song "Three Coins in the Fountain" for the movie of the same name.

Ten of Styne's songs were nominated for an Oscar. Many of these were written with Sammy Cahn. Some popular ones were "I've Heard That Song Before" and "It's Magic". He also worked with Leo Robin on the music for the 1955 film My Sister Eileen.

Broadway Musicals

In 1947, Styne wrote his first music for a Broadway musical called High Button Shoes. He worked on this with Sammy Cahn. Over the next few decades, he wrote music for many more Broadway shows. Some of his most famous musicals include:

• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
• Peter Pan (he added extra music)
• Bells Are Ringing
• Gypsy
• Do Re Mi
• Funny Girl
• Sugar (based on the movie Some Like It Hot, but with new music)
• The Tony-winning Hallelujah, Baby!

Styne wrote music for a wide range of famous stars. These included Phil Silvers, Carol Channing, Mary Martin, Judy Holliday, Ethel Merman, and the rising star Barbra Streisand.

Jule Styne passed away from heart failure in New York City when he was 88 years old. His collection of work, including his original handwritten music and letters, is kept at the Harry Ransom Center.

Awards and Recognition

Jule Styne received many honors for his amazing musical contributions:

• He was chosen for the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
• He joined the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.
• He received a Drama Desk Special Award.
• He was honored at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1990.
• Styne won an Oscar in 1955 for Best Music, Original Song for "Three Coins in the Fountain".
• His musical "Hallelujah, Baby!" won the Tony Award for Best Original Score in 1968.

Famous Songs by Jule Styne

Here is a selection of the many popular songs that Jule Styne wrote:

• "The Christmas Waltz"
• "Don't Rain on My Parade" (from Funny Girl)
• "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" (from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes)
• "Everything's Coming Up Roses" (from Gypsy)
• "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry"
• "I Don't Want to Walk Without You"
• "I Fall in Love Too Easily" (from Anchors Aweigh)
• "I'll Walk Alone"
• "It's Been a Long, Long Time"
• "It's Magic" (from Romance on the High Seas)
• "Just in Time" (from Bells Are Ringing)
• "Let Me Entertain You" (from Gypsy)
• "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!"
• "Make Someone Happy" (from Do Re Mi)
• "The Party's Over" (from Bells Are Ringing)
• "People" (from Funny Girl)
• "Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week)"
• "Small World" (from Gypsy)
• "Sunday"
• "Time After Time" (from It Happened in Brooklyn)
• "Three Coins in the Fountain" (Oscar-winning song)
• "Together (Wherever We Go)" (from Gypsy)

Musical Credits

Jule Styne wrote music for or was involved in these stage and film productions:

• Ice Capades of 1943 (1942)
• High Button Shoes (1947)
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949)
• Two on the Aisle (1951)
• Hazel Flagg (1953)
• Peter Pan (1954) (additional music)
• My Sister Eileen (1955)
• Bells Are Ringing (1956)
• Say, Darling (1958)
• First Impressions (1959)
• Gypsy (1959)
• Do Re Mi (1960)
• Subways Are for Sleeping (1961)
• Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)
• Arturo Ui (1963) (incidental music)
• Funny Girl (1964)
• Fade Out – Fade In (1964)
• The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1965)
• Hallelujah, Baby! (1967)
• Darling of the Day (1968)
• Look to the Lilies (1970)
• The Night the Animals Talked (1970)
• Prettybelle (1971)
• Sugar (1972)
• Lorelei (1974)
• Side by Side by Sondheim (1976)
• Bar Mitzvah Boy (1978)
• Pieces of Eight (1985)
• The Red Shoes (1993)

Images for kids

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  Jule Styne, a famous composer.

See also

In Spanish: Jule Styne para niños