American Songbook Blogs

November 6, 1886 – October 8, 1941 Kahn was an American lyricist/songwriter who contributed a number of songs to our Great American Songbook including “Pretty Baby“, “Ain’t We Got Fun?“, “Carolina in the Morning“, “Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Goo’ Bye!)“, “My Buddy” “I’ll See You in My Dreams“, “It Had to Be You“, “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby“, “Love Me or Leave Me“, “Makin’ Whoopee“, “My Baby Just Cares for Me“, “I’m Through with Love”, “Dream a Little Dream of Me” and “You Stepped Out of a Dream.” After success on Tin Pan Alley and several hit Broadway Shows, Kahn moved to Hollywood and settled into writing songs for film. Throughout his incredible career, He also collaborated with co-lyricist Ira Gershwin and with some of the finest composers, including Grace LeBoy Kahn (his wife),  Buddy DeSylva,  Al Jolson, Raymond Egan, Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin, Bronislaw Kaper, Jerome Kern, Sigmund Romberg, and Harry Warren among several others though his primary collaborator was Walter Donaldson. Kahn and Donaldson’s first collaboration was in 1922, “My Buddy,” (personal favorite). The Kahn/Donaldson Team went on to write over 100 songs together. In 1951, a movie based on Kahn’s life and career, “I’ll See You In My Dreams” was released starring Danny Thomas and Doris Day, Kahn’s catalog contained some of the songs from the first half of the 20th century, Kahn was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, nearly 30 years after his death. Happy Happy Birthday Gus! Thanks for the music!