Gus Kahn

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Gus Kahn

Gustav Gerson Kahn (November 6, 1886 – October 8, 1941) was a famous musician, songwriter and lyricist.

Kahn was born to a German Jewish family in Koblenz, Germany in 1886. The family immigrated to the United States and moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1890. After graduating from high school, he worked as a clerk in a mail order business before launching one of the most successful and prolific careers from Tin Pan Alley.

In his early days, Kahn wrote special material for vaudeville. In 1913 he began a productive partnership with the well-established composer Egbert van Alstyne, with whom he created several notable hits of the era, including "Memories" and "Pretty Baby". Later, he began writing lyrics for composer and bandleader Isham Jones. This partnership led to one of Kahn's best-known works, "I'll See You in My Dreams", which became the title of a movie based on his life.

From the 1920’s, Kahn continued to contribute to Broadway scores such as "Kitty’s Kisses", "Whoopee", "Show Girl", "Sinbad", "Passing Show of 1922" and "Greenwich Village Follies of 1923". He went on to also write several movies, mainly for MGM Productions.

By 1933, Kahn had become a full time motion picture songwriter contributing to movies such as "Flying Down to Rio", "Thanks a Million", "A Day at the Races", "Everybody Sing", "One Night of Love", "Three Smart Girls", "Let’s Sing Again", "San Francisco" and "Ziegfeld Girl".

He also collaborated with some of the finest composers including, Grace LeBoy Kahn (his wife), Richard Whiting, Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Raymond Egan, Ted Fio Rito, Ernie Erdman, Neil Moret, Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, Harry Akst, Harry M. Woods, Edward Eliscu, Victor Schertzinger, Arthur Johnston, Bronislaw Kaper, Walter Jurmann, Sigmund Romberg and Harry Warren, though his primary collaborator was Walter Donaldson.

Gus Kahn died in Beverly Hills, California on October 8, 1941 where he was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

His catalog contained some of the greatest collections of songs from the first half of the 20th century and it is for this very reason that he was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970, nearly 30 years after his death.

His most famous songs include "It Had To Be You" (1924) with music by Isham Jones and "Makin' Whoopee!" (1928), with music by Walter Donaldson. Kahn was also the lyricist for the Ted Healy/Three Stooges short film Beer and Pretzels (1933), with music by Al Goodhart. Danny Thomas played Kahn in the 1951 biographical film I'll See You in My Dreams.