Mack Gordon - Biography

Biography

Gordon was born in Warsaw and moved to New York City as a child. He appeared as a vaudeville actor and singer in the late 1920s and early 1930s but his songwriting talents were always paramount. He formed a partnership with English pianist Harry Revel that lasted throughout the 1930s. In the 1940s he worked with a string of other composers including Harry Warren.

The Internet Movie Database states that Gordon's songs have been used in the soundtrack of over 100 films, Gordon writing specifically for at least 50 of them. His catalogue includes more than 120 songs sung by some of the world's most famous and talented performers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Etta James, Glenn Miller, Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera, Mel Tormé, Nat King Cole, and many more. His friendship with many of his artists (such as Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack) and his ability to write lyrics that were timeless allowed him to become a famous member of the world of music and a renowned lyricist. Thus there is perhaps no surprise that his exhibit in the Songwriters Hall of Fame says he is "arguably one of the most successful lyricists to write for the screen". He was entombed in Corridor of Immortality at Home of Peace Cemetery.