Ray Henderson, a multifaceted talent, emerged as a celebrated pianist, publisher, and producer, having received his formal education at the esteemed Chicago Conservatory.
His illustrious career commenced as a pianist in dance bands, before transitioning to work as an arranger for prominent New York publishing companies within the vaudeville scene.
In 1925, Henderson collaborated with B. G. DeSylva and Lew Brown to form a songwriting partnership and music publishing company, marking the beginning of a fruitful creative endeavor.
Throughout his illustrious career, Henderson's impressive repertoire of Broadway stage scores boasts an array of notable productions, including "George White's Scandals," "Manhattan Mary," "Good News," "Hold Everything," "Three Cheers," "Follow Through," "Flying High," "Hot-Cha," "Say When," "Strike Me Pink," and "Ziegfeld Follies of 1943," leaving an indelible mark on the world of music.
In the year 1929, a significant transformation took place in the life of a prominent figure in the music industry, as he made the bold decision to sell his stake in the publishing business and embark on a new chapter in Hollywood under a contract with the esteemed Fox organization.
As a valued member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP),he had the privilege of collaborating with an impressive array of talented songwriters, including the renowned Sam Lewis, Joe Young, Billy Rose, Mort Dixon, Jack Yellen, and Irving Caesar, to name a few.
Throughout his illustrious career, he amassed an extensive repertoire of popular songs that have become an integral part of the American musical heritage. His impressive catalog includes timeless classics such as "That Old Gang of Mine," "Alabamy Bound," "Don't Bring Lulu," "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue," "I'm Sitting on Top of the World," "Too Many Parties and Too Many Pals," "Lucky Day," "Black Bottom," "Bye Bye Blackbird," "It All Depends on You," "Manhattan Mary," "Good News," "The Varsity Drag," "Just Imagine," "Lucky in Love," "Broken Hearted," "Just a Memory," "So Blue," "I'm on the Crest of a Wave," "You're the Cream in My Coffee," "You Wouldn't Fool Me, Would You?," "Sonny Boy," "Together," "My Sin," "I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All?," "Sunny Side Up," "If I Had a Talking Picture of You," "Little Pal," "Without Love," "Thank Your Father," "Red Hot Chicago," "You Try Somebody Else," "My Song," "The Thrill is Gone," "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries," "This Is the Missus," "Strike Me Pink," "Say When," "When Love Comes Swinging Along," "My Lucky Star," "Oh You Nasty Man," "My Dog Loves Your Dog," "Why Did I Kiss that Girl?," "If I Had a Girl Like You," "Bam Bam Bamy Shore," "Animal Crackers in My Soup," "When I Grow Up," "Life Begins at Sweet Sixteen," and "Love Songs Are Made in the Night."
This remarkable individual's impressive body of work has left an indelible mark on the world of music, and his legacy continues to inspire and entertain audiences to this day.
