Famed Broadway songwriter Jule Styne was born England in 1905 and moved to the States at the age of eight. Styne collaborated frequently with lyricist Sammy Cahn and went on to pen such unforgettable shows like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Funny Girl, and Gypsy (with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim). Nonesuch recorded the Broadway revival of Gypsy starring Tyne Daly in 1989. Styne died in 1994 at the age of 88.
Famed Broadway songwriter Jule Styne was born Julius Herwin Stein in London, England, in 1905, and moved to Chicago with his family at the age of eight. Two years later, he was already recognized as a child prodigy on the piano and performed with the Chicago, St. Louis, and Detroit symphonies.
While a factory accident would keep Styne from a professional career in classical music, he soon gained recognition for his songwriting, band-leading, and vocal coaching. In 1934, he was brought under contract by 20th Century Fox as a vocal coach for the likes of Tony Martin, Alice Faye, Shirley Temple, Linda Darnell, Jane Withers, and others.
Styne’s impact on Broadway and in Hollywood can be measured in part through his various collaborations with lyricist Sammy Cahn and unforgettable shows like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Funny Girl, Gypsy (for which Stephen Sondheim wrote lyrics), and others. The 1989 Broadway revival of Gypsy, on the 40th anniversary of the original production, starred Tyne Daly in the lead role; the cast recording was released on Nonesuch that year.
Jule Styne died in Manhattan in 1994 at the age of 88.
