Musicians - Kay Swift

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	Musicians - Kay Swift

Kay Swift (19 April 1897 – 28 January 1993) was an American composer of popular and classical music who was the first woman to score a complete musical. Written in 1930, Fine and Dandy includes some of her best known songs including the title work which has become a jazz standard. "Can't We be Friends" (1929) was another important hit. Swift also arranged some of the music of George Gershwin posthumously such as the Prelude, "Sleepless Night" (1946).

Biography

Swift was educated as a classical musician and composer at the Institute of Musical Art (now known as The Juilliard School). Her teacher of composition was Charles Loeffler while harmony and composition was taught to her by Percy Goetschius. Her father, a music critic, died when she was young. The Edith Rubel Trio was a group with which she had played professionally. Performing at a social event, she met the sister of her future husband James Paul Warburg (known as "Jimmy") who arranged the meeting of the couple. Warburg was a member of a distinguished Jewish family who had made their fortune in the banking industry. Swift, however, was not Jewish, and his prestigious uncle objected to the marriage. Warburg's parents, however, accepted the marriage. Between 1919 and 1924, Swift had three children by Warburg. (Hyland 89)

After she had met George Gershwin in 1925, she was encouraged to write popular pieces although she was classically trained. Her husband—under the pen name of Paul James—served as her lyricist. Before this time, Swift was said to be elitistly against popular music as opposed to classical. Kay and George were more and more frequently seen together. Frequently out of town on business, her husband Jimmy was tolerant later saying that he liked Gershwin and considered him a genius, although he had some resentment toward the "self-centered genius" who had interfered with his life. Jimmy's work as a lyricist was his attempt to compete with her interest in Gershwin. After this alleged affair with Gershwin, Swift's marriage dissolved. In all, the relationship between Gershwin and Swift is estimated to have lasted ten years which was likely due to their similar personalities and musical interests. Gershwin frequently consulted Swift about his musicals and other works. After Gershwin died in 1937, Ira Gershwin collaborated with Swift to complete and arrange some of his unpublished works. (Hyland 90)

Oh, Kay!

The Gershwin musical Oh, Kay! is said to be named for Kay Swift and the leading male character is named Jimmy after her husband, Jimmy Warburg. Although her birth name was Katharine Swift, George Gershwin coined the nickname "Kay". The authors of Oh, Kay! worked with the Gershwins for the musical which was originally to be named Mayfair. It was renamed as well after Swift. (Hyland 108)

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