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Description
The man behind some of the most memorable lyrics in the great American songbook emerges from his brother’s shadow
It’s a life with a sharp dividing line; we witness Ira’s transformation by George’s death at thirty-eight. From carefree dreamer and successful lyricist, he becomes guardian of his brother’s legacy and manager of complex family dynamics, even while continuing to practise his craft with composers like Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern.
Drawing on extensive archival sources and often using Ira’s own words, Michael Owen offers a rich portrait of the modest man who penned the words to many of America’s best-loved songs.