n 1918 Jerome Kern and his wife, Eva, purchased a newly–completed clapboard and stucco house on Dellwood Road in Cedar Knolls in northeast Yonkers. It was while living in the Knolls that Kern wrote the musical scores for Show Boat, Sally, Sunny and many other productions. In the big library with its two pianos, or in his tower studio over the barn, the author composed such well–loved melodies as Old Man River, Who?, and Look for the Silver Lining.

Sensitive to nature, one of Kern’s hit songs was suggested to him by a bird whose chirping aroused his interest one night, but whose notes he could not remember next day. Several nights later, he heard the bird’s call again and this time jotted down the notes which in time were the motif for I Told Every Little Star.

Beginning in 1931, Kern became increasingly involved with writing for motion picture musicals and in 1934 moved to California. He died suddenly in November 1945 while on a trip to New York in connection with a projected stage revival of Show Boat.

Despite all the changes in musical fashions in the almost fifty years since his death, the countless beautiful melodies Jerome Kern created live on.