John Francis Burke (October 3, 1908 – February 25, 1964) was an American
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's incom ...
, successful and prolific between the 1920s and 1950s.
His work is considered part of the
Great American Songbook
The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant early-20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes.
Definition
According to the Great American Songbook Foundation: The "Great American Songbook" i ...
.
His song "
Swinging on a Star", from the
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
film ''
Going My Way'', won an
Academy Award for Best Song in 1944.
Early life
Burke was born in
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ� ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, United States, the son of Mary Agnes (Mungovan), a schoolteacher, and William Earl Burke, a structural engineer. When he was still young, his family moved to
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, where Burke's father founded a construction business. As a youth, Burke studied piano and drama. He attended
Crane College
Malcolm X College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago, is a two-year college located on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was founded as Crane Junior College in 1911 and was the first of the City Colleges. Crane ceased operations at ...
and then the
University of Wisconsin–Madison
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
, where he played piano in the orchestra.
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1927, Burke joined the Chicago office of the
Irving Berlin Publishing Company in 1926 as a pianist and song salesman. He also played piano in dance bands and
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
.
Career
Burke and Spina
Irving Berlin Publishing transferred Burke to its
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
office, where he began to write lyrics in collaboration with composer
Harold Spina
Harold Spina (21 June 1906 – 18 July 1997) was an American composer of popular songs. His best-known work happened in the early 1930s, when he collaborated with lyricists Johnny Burke and Joe Young on songs such as "Annie Doesn't Live Her ...
. In 1932, they wrote "Shadows on the Swanee", followed in 1933 by "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore", their first big hit for the
Guy Lombardo Orchestra.
In 1934, Burke and Spina wrote "You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew", which was a novelty hit for
Fats Waller
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...
, as was "My Very Good Friend, the Milkman".
Burke and Spina wrote many songs that were played by leading bands of the day, including those led by
Ben Pollack,
Paul Whiteman
Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist.
As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...
and
Ozzie Nelson.
The Burke - Spina partnership ended in 1936 when Burke left for Hollywood.
Burke in Hollywood
Burke's first partner in Hollywood was
Arthur Johnston. He then worked with
Jimmy Monaco, but he was to make his mark in collaboration with
Jimmy Van Heusen. The team of Burke and Van Heusen turned out some of the great hit tunes of the 1940s. Burke signed a contract with
Paramount in 1939, and spent his entire career with the same studio. Burke's primary function as a lyricist was working on the films of
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
.
Of the 41 films on which he worked, 25 starred Bing Crosby. Seventeen songs were substantial hits, including "
Pennies from Heaven", "I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams", "
Only Forever", "
Moonlight Becomes You" and "
Sunday, Monday, or Always "Sunday, Monday or Always" is a 1943 popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke.
The biggest hit version, recorded by Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers on July 2, 1943, and appearing in his film '' Dixie'', was ...
".
Another Burke-Van Heusen song that Crosby recorded was "Sunshine Cake",
which Crosby also sang with
Clarence Muse and
Coleen Gray in
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...
's 1950
Paramount film ''
Riding High''. The song was also recorded by
Peggy Lee,
Jo Stafford and
Dick Haymes
Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentinian singer and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, ...
, and later
Tiny Tim. Other Burke-Van Heusen songs Crosby performed in ''
Riding High'' included "A Sure Thing," "Someplace on Anywhere Road", and "The Horse Told Me."
Other works
In 1939, Burke wrote the lyrics for "Scatterbrain", with music by
Frankie Masters
Frankie Masters (born Frank E. Masterman; April 12, 1904 – October 28, 1990) was a big band leader. Elected to the American Federation of Musicians, Local 10 in Chicago, on February 13, 1924, Masters's performance career endured through the 197 ...
and "
What's New?" with
Bob Haggart.
In 1955, Burke added lyrics to a standard by
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
pianist
A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...
Erroll Garner
Erroll Louis Garner (June 15, 1921 – January 2, 1977) was an American jazz pianist and composer known for his swing playing and ballads. His instrumental ballad " Misty", his best-known composition, has become a jazz standard. It was first re ...
entitled "
Misty."
Burke also wrote the words and music to the
Nat King Cole song "If Love Ain't There."
The film ''
The Vagabond King'' (1956) was Burke's last Hollywood work. Eight years later, he died in New York City from a heart attack at the age of 55.
In 1961, Burke both composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the Broadway musical ''
Donnybrook!
''Donnybrook!'' is a musical, with music and lyrics by Johnny Burke and book by Robert E. McEnroe. It is based on the 1952 film ''The Quiet Man''.
Production
''Donnybrook!'' opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre on May 18, 1961 and cl ...
'', which was based on the 1952 film ''
The Quiet Man''. The show opened May 18, ran for 68 performances (plus two previews), and closed on July 15.
Awards and honors
Burke and Van Heusen's song "
Swinging on a Star", from the Bing Crosby film ''
Going My Way'', won an
Academy Award for Best Song in 1944, one of seven
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
won by the film.
Burke was posthumously inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
In 1995, Burke's life was depicted in the Broadway
musical revue, ''"Swinging on a Star"''.
Personal life
Burke was married four times. He was married to Mary Mason in the 1960s, who played Liesl in ''
The Sound of Music'' on Broadway. He was married to Bess Patterson from 1939–1955; the marriage produced three children.
Discography
Among the landmarks of Burke's songwriting career were:
* with Harold Spina:
** "Annie Doesn't Live Here Anymore"
** "You're Not the Only Oyster in the Stew"
** "My Very Good Friend, the Milkman"
** "Shadows on the Swanee"
** "The Beat of My Heart"
** "Now You've Got Me Doing It"
** "I've Got a Warm Spot in My Heart for You"
*with Arthur Johnston:
** "
Pennies from Heaven"
** "One Two, Button Your Shoe"
** "Double or Nothing"
** "The Moon Got in My Eyes"
** "All You Want to Do Is Dance"
*with Jimmy Monaco:
** "Only Forever"
** "I've Got a Pocketful of Dreams"
** "Don't Let That Moon Get Away"
** "An Apple for the Teacher"
** "On the Sentimental Side"
** "My Heart Is Taking Lessons"
** "Scatterbrain"
** "That Sly Old Gentleman from Featherbed Lane"
** "Sing a Song of Sunbeams"
** "East Side of Heaven"
** "Too Romantic"
** "Sweet Potato Piper"
** "Where the Turf Meets the Surf" (with
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
)
*with Jimmy Van Heusen:
** "
Polka Dots and Moonbeams"
** "
Imagination
Imagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations ...
"
** "
Moonlight Becomes You"
** "
Sunday, Monday, or Always "Sunday, Monday or Always" is a 1943 popular song with music by Jimmy Van Heusen and lyrics by Johnny Burke.
The biggest hit version, recorded by Bing Crosby with the Ken Darby Singers on July 2, 1943, and appearing in his film '' Dixie'', was ...
"
** "Going My Way"
** "
Swinging on a Star"
** "
It Could Happen to You"
** "And His Rockin' Horse Ran Away"
** "The First One Hundred Years"
** "
But Beautiful"
** "Apalachicola, Fla"
** "
Here's That Rainy Day" (from the
Broadway musical ''
Carnival in Flanders'')
** "It's an Old Spanish Custom" (from ''Carnival In Flanders'')
** "
Oh, You Crazy Moon"
** "To See You Is to Love You"
** "Suddenly It's Spring"
** "
Like Someone in Love"
** "
(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco
"(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco" is a song composed in 1942 by Jimmy Van Heusen, with lyrics by Johnny Burke, for the film ''Road to Morocco'', in which it was performed by Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. Crosby recorded a solo version of the song, ...
"
** "You May Not Love Me"
** "
It's Always You"
**"A Friend Of Yours"
**"
Personality
Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, ...
"
**"Life Is So Peculiar"
References
External links
*
Johnny Burke's entry at ASCAP*A collection of material relating to Burke is housed in th
Great American Songbook Foundation archivesJohnny Burke recordingsat the
Discography of American Historical Recordings.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Johnny
1908 births
1964 deaths
Malcolm X College alumni
University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters
American lyricists
Broadway composers and lyricists
Broadway theatre producers
People from Antioch, California
Songwriters from California