Biography
American pop lyricist Ted Koehler earned his greatest renown through his partnership with composer Harold Arlen. Their most productive period unfolded during the 1930s, yielding such successes as “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” (1931), “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues” (1932), “Stormy Weather” (1933)—the number Lena Horne performed for her Hollywood debut—and “Let’s Fall in Love” (1934). Born in Washington, D.C., in 1894, Koehler pursued studies in New York and Newark before abandoning a photo-engraving position to become a theater pianist, an occupation that led him to introduce hit songs in prominent silent-era cinemas. He supplied material for vaudeville sketches and Broadway shows while also staging nightclub revues. The Arlen collaboration commenced in the late 1920s and extended across Broadway scores, Cotton Club presentations, and numerous films, among them Curly Top (1935), Love Affair (1939), San Antonio (1946), and My Wild Irish Rose (1947). Koehler further teamed with composers Sammy Fain, Rube Bloom, Ray Henderson, and Burton Lane. Additional well-known compositions from this Songwriters Hall of Fame member encompass “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” (1931), “Let’s Fall in Love” (1934), “Truckin’” (1935), “I’m Shooting High” (1936), and “Don’t Worry ’Bout Me” (1939).