Johnny Burke
Songwriter
Best known for Swinging on a Star and Pennies from Heaven. He was revered as one of America's greatest mid-20th century songwriters.
He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, immediately joining the Irving Berlin Publishing Company as a pianist and song salesman following graduation.
His song Swinging on a Star won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1944.
He married second wife Bessie Patterson in 1939. The couple had one child together.
He wrote songs for many films starring Bing Crosby, the best known of which, Going My Way, won him an Academy Award for Best Song for Swinging on a Star in 1944.