Jerome Kern

Jerome David Kern (1885-1945) was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music, recognized as one of the most important figures in early 20th-century Broadway. He composed over 700 songs for more than 100 stage works, including classics like 'Ol' Man River' and 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,' and his collaboration with Oscar Hammerstein II on Show Boat (1927) revolutionized the musical by integrating music with story.[1][3][4]