Hart, Lorenz Milton, 1895–1943, American lyricist, b. New York City, studied at Columbia. Hart began collaborating with Richard Rodgers in 1919; their initial success was The Garrick Gaieties (1925). Thereafter, the team of Rodgers and Hart produced such popular musicals as Connecticut Yankee (1927), The Boys from Syracuse (1938), Pal Joey (1940), and By Jupiter (1942). Their many famous songs include “Manhattan,” “Blue Moon,” and “The Lady Is a Tramp.” Hart was noted for his witty, literate, but always expressive lyrics; his rhymes were distinctly original. He was the first popular-song lyricist to receive equal billing with the composer.
See D. Hart and R. Kimball, ed., The Complete Lyrics of Lorenz Hart (1986, rev. ed. 1995); biographies by F. Nolan (1994) and G. Mormorstein (2012).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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