Walter Kent

Walter Kent (born Walter Maurice Kaufman, November 29, 1911 – March 2, 1994) was an American composer and conductor. Some notable compositions are: “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die” and “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover”. Early life Walter Kent was born to a Jewish family on November 29, 1911, in New York City. He graduated from Townsend Harris Hall High School. Kent studied violin with advanced, private instruction from Leopold Auer and Samuel Gardner. He also enrolled at City College of New York, studying drafting, with the idea of becoming an architect, but never completed a university education. He did some work as a draftsman, but gave it up to pursue song writing. Kent conducted his own orchestra in New York, performing in theaters and on the radio. Career In 1932, Kent co-wrote his first major song with Milton Drake and Abner Silver entitled, “Pu-Leeze, Mister Hemingway”. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Kent worked bi-coastally, writing songs in New York City and writing for the motion picture industry composing songs for films, including several westerns. As World War II started in Europe, Kent’s work turned towards the conflict