orig. Julius Kerwin Stein
born Dec. 31, 1905, London, Eng.
died Sept. 20, 1994, New York, N.Y., U.S.
British-born U.S. songwriter.
Born to Ukrainian Jewish parents, he and his family settled in Chicago, Ill., U.S., in 1912. His first hit song was published in 1926. In the early 1930s he changed his name to avoid confusion with another performer. He moved to Hollywood, Calif., in 1937 to write film musicals. In the 1940s he worked with lyricist Sammy Cahn , writing ballads for Frank Sinatra , the film musical Anchors Aweigh (1945), and the Broadway musical High Button Shoes (1947). He collaborated with other lyricists on musicals such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1949), Bells Are Ringing (1956), Gypsy (1959), and Funny Girl (1964). His songs include "Let It Snow," "The Party's Over," and "People."