Vincent Youmans was a Broadway composer whose economical output yielded an extraordinary concentration of standards during the 1920s and early 1930s. Born in New York City in 1898, Youmans published fewer than 100 songs, yet 18 became ASCAP-recognized standards. His most famous compositions include "Tea for Two" and "I Want to Be Happy" from No, No, Nanette (1925), "Time on My Hands" from Smiles (1930), and "Without a Song" from Great Day (1929). He collaborated with lyricists including Irving Caesar, Oscar Hammerstein II, and Ira Gershwin. He also contributed to the film Flying Down to Rio (1933), the first to feature Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing together. Tuberculosis curtailed his career, and he died in 1946 at age 47.
