Burton Lane Biography

Burton Lane (February 2, 1912, New York City - January 5, 1997, New York City) was an American composer and lyricist.

Lane (real name Burton Levy) was best known for his Broadway musicals, Finian's Rainbow (1947) and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1965). He also wrote the music for the less successful Broadway shows, Hold On to Your Hats (1940), Laffing Room Only (1944), Junior Miss (1957), and Carmelina (1979), the latter with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, who had also written lyrics to Lane's music for On a Clear Day and the film Royal Wedding (1951). Lane also wrote music for films such as Dancing Lady, Babes on Broadway, and Some Like it Hot. For a time, he was president of the American Guild of Authors and Composers, during which period he campaigned against music piracy. He also served three terms on the board of directors of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).

Lane's best-known songs include "Old Devil Moon," "How are Things In Glocca Morra?", "Too Late Now," "How About You?", and the title song from "On a Clear Day." He shared a Grammy Award in 1965 for Best Broadway Cast Album of the year (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever).

Lane is credited by Songwriters' Hall of Fame (www.songwritershalloffame.org) with discovering the 11-year-old Frances Gumm (Judy Garland) and bringing her to the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's executives.