Oscar Hammerstein II

Oscar Hammerstein II
Hammerstein c. 1940
Born	Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (1895-07-12)July 12, 1895 New York City, U.S.
Died	August 23, 1960(1960-08-23) (aged 65) Doylestown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Education	Columbia University (BA)
Occupations	Librettist theatrical producer theater director
Years active	1914–1960
Spouses	Myra Finn ​ ​ (m. 1917; div. 1929)​ Dorothy Blanchard Jacobson ​ ​ (m. 1929)​
Children	3 biological children, including James 2 stepchildren, including Susan Blanchard
Parent	Willie Hammerstein (father)
Relatives	Oscar Hammerstein I (grandfather) Arthur Hammerstein (uncle) Stella Hammerstein (aunt) Elaine Hammerstein (cousin)
Musical career
Genres	Musical theater popular
Musical artist

Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II (/ˈhæmərstaɪn/; July 12, 1895 – August 23, 1960) was an American lyricist, librettist, theatrical producer, and (usually uncredited) director in musical theater for nearly 40 years. He won eight Tony Awards and two Academy Awards for Best Original Song. Many of his songs are standard repertoire for vocalists and jazz musicians. He co-wrote 850 songs.

He is best known for his collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers, as the duo Rodgers and Hammerstein, whose musicals include Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Described by Stephen Sondheim as an "experimental playwright",^[1] Hammerstein helped bring the American musical to new maturity by popularizing musicals that focused on stories and character rather than the lighthearted entertainment that the musical had been known for beforehand.

He also collaborated with Jerome Kern (with whom he wrote Show Boat), Vincent Youmans, Rudolf Friml, Richard A. Whiting, and Sigmund Romberg.