Jimmy Van Heusen

Jimmy Van Heusen (born Edward Chester Babcock, January 26, 1913 – February 6, 1990) was an American composer who became one of the most prolific and celebrated songwriters of the 20th century. Raised in Syracuse, New York, he adopted the professional name “Jimmy Van Heusen” during his early radio days, inspired by a friend’s shirt collar. Van Heusen began his music career as a teenager, working as a pianist for local radio stations and writing songs while still in high school. His early compositions gained attention, leading him to move to New York City, where he began to work in the vibrant Tin Pan Alley scene.

Van Heusen’s breakthrough came in the late 1930s with hits like “Darn That Dream,” written with lyricist Eddie DeLange. Over the next few decades, he formed a celebrated partnership with lyricist Johnny Burke, creating a string of standards for Broadway, Hollywood films, and popular singers of the era. Among their most enduring works are “Swinging on a Star,” which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1944, and “It Could Happen to You.” Their music became synonymous with the sophisticated charm of the 1940s and ’50s American songbook.

In the 1950s, Van Heusen began a long and fruitful collaboration with lyricist Sammy Cahn, a partnership that would define much of his later career. Together, they wrote iconic songs for Frank Sinatra and other stars, including “All the Way,” “Come Fly with Me,” “Call Me Irresponsible,” and “My Kind of Town.” Their music helped shape Sinatra’s image as the embodiment of mid-century cool and romance. Van Heusen and Cahn’s work won multiple Academy Awards and cemented their reputations as masters of popular songcraft.

Van Heusen’s compositions were known for their melodic sophistication and emotional depth, making them favorites for both film scores and jazz interpretations. His songs have been recorded by a wide range of artists, from Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald to contemporary performers keeping the Great American Songbook alive. Beyond his musical talent, Van Heusen was known for his adventurous spirit—he was a licensed pilot and often flew his own plane between work engagements in New York and Los Angeles.

By the time of his death in Rancho Mirage, California, in 1990, Jimmy Van Heusen had written more than 800 songs, won four Academy Awards, and received an Emmy Award. His music remains a vital part of American popular culture, celebrated for its timeless elegance, romantic lyricism, and enduring influence on both jazz and popular music.