Born Ralph Blane Hunsecker in Broken Arrow, OK. Before putting his musical talents to paper, he took voice and piano lessons and after attending Northwestern University, at 19, moved to New York City to study voice with operatic coach Estelle Neibling. He received $50 for doing the vocals on the first singing commercial for Pepsi Cola. His singing with a local radio group led to a songwriting alliance with Hugh Martin. The team wrote the lyrics and musical score for films BEST FOOT FORWARD (1943), MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944), and MY BLUE HEAVEN (1950). Other Blane classics are "The Boy Next Door," "Buckle Down Winsocki," "Pass That Peace Pipe" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Perhaps best known for "The Trolley Song," Blane's compositions cover several pages of the ASCAP Dictionary of Music. He received two Academy Award nominations and was selected in 1983 to the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Nominated for Music Best Song 1944: MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS "The Trolley Song" - Music & Lyric (w. Hugh Martin)  Nominated for Music Best Song 1945: GOOD NEWS "Pass That Peace Pipe" - Music & Lyric (w. Hugh Martin & Roger Edens) 2 nominations