Harold Arlen was an American composer born Hyman Arluck on February 15, 1905, in
Buffalo, New York. He learned to play piano as a youth and formed Hyman Arluck's
Snappy Trio at age 15. In his early twenties, Arlen moved to New York City,
working as a vaudeville accompanist and adopting his professional name. He
published his first song, “Minor Gaff (Blues Fantasy),” in 1926 before scoring
his first major hit, “Get Happy” (1929), with lyricist Ted Koehler. Their
partnership produced popular standards, including “Let's Fall in Love” and
“Stormy Weather.” Arlen wrote extensively for...