Richard Charles Rodgers (born June 28, 1902, in New York, United States) was one
of the most famous 20th-century American composers whose work shaped popular
music. He studied composition at the Institute of Musical Art (later Juilliard)
and met lyricist Lorenz Hart in 1919; their first professional show, The Melody
Man (1924), launched a partnership that produced standards such as "Blue Moon"
and "My Funny Valentine" during the 1920s and 1930s. After Hart’s death, Rodgers
teamed with Oscar Hammerstein II, writing integrated Broadway successes
including Oklahoma! (1943), Carousel...