Edward Heyman

Edward Heyman (March 14, 1907 – October 16, 1981) was an American lyricist, producer, and Broadway book writer and composer born in New York, New York. He is best known for his lyrics to "Body and Soul," "When I Fall in Love," and "For Sentimental Reasons," and his career encompassed Broadway productions, Hollywood film scores, and a catalog of widely recorded popular songs.

Heyman attended the University of Michigan, where he began writing musicals while still a student. Following his graduation, he returned to New York City and began collaborating with established musicians. His partnerships during this period included work with Johnny Green, with whom he wrote "Body and Soul," "Out of Nowhere," "I Cover the Waterfront," and "Easy Come, Easy Go"; Victor Young, with whom he wrote "When I Fall in Love"; and Dana Suesse, with whom he wrote "You Oughta Be in Pictures."

"Body and Soul," composed in 1930, became one of Heyman's most enduring contributions to American popular music. Coleman Hawkins recorded the song in 1939, and it has appeared in numerous films over the decades, including Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Catch Me If You Can. Among his other well-known songs are "Through the Years," "Blame It on My Youth" (written with Oscar Levant), "Love Letters," "Blue Star" — which served as the theme for the television series Medic — "The Wonder of You," "Boo-Hoo," "Bluebird of Happiness," "They Say," and "You're Mine, You!"

On Broadway, Heyman contributed as a composer and book writer to several productions, including Caviar, Here Comes the Bride, New Faces of 1943, Murder at the Vanities, and Pardon Our French. Between 1935 and 1952, he also contributed songs to film scores for productions including Sweet Surrender, That Girl from Paris, Curly Top, The Kissing Bandit, Delightfully Dangerous, and Northwest Outpost.

An ASCAP writer throughout his career, Heyman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975.