Richard Rodgers

Richard Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer renowned for his contributions to musical theater, where he composed music for over 900 published songs and more than 40 Broadway musicals.

Born in New York City to Russian Jewish immigrant parents, Rodgers was the second son of physician William Rodgers (originally Rogazinsky) and Mamie Levy; he began playing piano at age six and wrote his first songs, "Dear Old Wigwam" and "Camp-Fire Days," at age 14. After attending public schools including P.S. 10 and P.S. 166, Townsend Harris Hall, and DeWitt Clinton High School, he studied music at Columbia University, where he composed for the Varsity Show of 1920.

Richard Rodgers was born on June 28, 1902, in Arverne, Queens, New York, to Jewish immigrant parents William Abraham Rodgers (originally Rogazinsky), a prominent physician who had changed the family name from Rogazinsky to Rodgers, and Mamie Levy Rodgers. The Rodgers family had Russian Jewish roots, with Rodgers' grandparents having immigrated to New York in the 1860s, establishing a middle-class household in a bustling urban environment.

Rodgers grew up in the home of his maternal grandparents, Jacob and Rachel Levy, alongside his older brother, Mortimer "Morty" Rodgers, four years his senior, in a culturally rich Jewish family that emphasized community and tradition. The family dynamics revolved around close-knit gatherings, where religious observances included attending synagogue, reflecting their observant yet assimilated lifestyle amid New York's Jewish immigrant community. Morty shared in family activities, fostering a sibling bond.

From an early age, Rodgers was immersed in music through everyday family life, including exposure to popular tunes via vaudeville shows and the player piano at home, where he, Morty, and their parents would sing along to contemporary hits. His grandparents, avid opera enthusiasts, regularly took him to performances, broadening his musical horizons beyond Jewish cultural events like his first theatrical outing at age six—a Yiddish play that sparked his fascination with stage music. Around age six, Rodgers began picking out melodies by ear on the family piano without formal instruction, leading to his initial compositional efforts, such as simple songs inspired by family occasions and daily life.