Jack Lawrence was born in Brooklyn, NY, April 7, 1912 and grew up in an orthodox Jewish family of modest means as the third of four sons. With practically no musical training he began writing songs at a tender age. Due to parental pressure after he graduated Thomas Jefferson High School, he enrolled in the First Institute of Podiatry and matriculated with a doctorate in 1932, the same year that saw the publication of his first song. With that he forsook the practice of podiatry and a career was born. Lawrence has had a long and distinguished career in the world of entertainment since his first song, "Play Fiddle Play," an international hit, earned him membership in ASCAP at the tender age of 20. He was the youngest member to be accepted by ASCAP at the time. Years later he was also among the first writers to be inducted into the National Songwriters Hall of Fame. For many years he has also held memberships in the AMPAS, (Oscar Awards) and the Dramatist's Guild of America. In film, his songs were first used in MANHATTAN MERRY-GO-ROUND (1937). Other film credits include PETER PAN (1953, uncredited) and SATAN IN HIGH HEELS (1962). Many of his popular songs (with a number of collaborators) have been singers' first big hits or have been instrumental in their rise to fame: "Addie's at It Again" (from I Had a Ball), "All or Nothing at All" (Frank Sinatra), "Beyond the Sea" (Bobby Darin), "Ciribiribin" (The Andrews Sisters), "Foolin' Myself" (Billie Holiday), "If I Didn't Care" (The Ink Spots), "Linda" (Perry Como, The Mills Brothers), "Poor People of Paris" (Bob Crosby & Rosemary Clooney), "Sleepy Lagoon" (Harry James, The Platters), "Sunrise Serenade" (Frankie Carle, Glenn Miller, Floyd Cramer), "Tenderly" (Rosemary Clooney), "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair" (Stan Kenton, Glenn Miller, Kay Kyser) and "Yes, My Darling Daughter" (Dinah Shore).  Nominated for Music Best Song 1954: SUSAN SLEPT HERE "Hold My Hand" - Music & Lyric (w. Richard Myers) 1 nomination