Harold Arlen is an American composer, arranger, pianist and vocalist who penned classic pop tunes including “Over the Rainbow,” “I Love a Parade,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” plus many others during his prolific career from the late 1920s to the 1950s.
The son of a Jewish cantor and pianist, Arlen showed exceptional musical talent from an early age, developing an early appreciation for ragtime music. By 14, he had dropped out of school to form a band and supported himself until his mid-20s as a performer.
In 1929, he had his first successful composition, writing “Get Happy” in collaboration with Ted Koehler. The pair would have several successful collaborations through the 1930s with songs featured at Harlem’s Cotton Club and with scores for Broadway musicals.
In the 1930s, Arlen married and moved to California where he focused his attention on movies. In 1938 he was hired along with lyricist Yip Harburg to score the MGM film The Wizard of Oz. They won an Academy Award for “Over the Rainbow,” a song that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) would vote as the number 1 song of the 20th century.
In the 1940s Arlen teamed with Johnny Mercer for more classic songs, including “That Old Black Magic” and “Accentuate the Positive.” After returning to New York Arlen adopted the adult son of his brother to establish an heir to extend his copyright. Arlen died in 1986 and in tribute Irving Berlin said “He wasn’t as well known as some of us, but he was a better songwriter than most of us and he will be missed by all of us.”
