Richard Whiting was a prolific American composer of popular songs during the Golden Age of Tin Pan Alley. Born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1891, Whiting created dozens of hits from the 1910s through the 1930s, working first as a staff songwriter in Detroit before moving to Hollywood. His catalog includes enduring standards such as "Hooray for Hollywood," "Ain't We Got Fun?," "Too Marvelous for Words," and "My Ideal," many of which became jazz standards. He frequently collaborated with lyricists including Johnny Mercer, Leo Robin, Gus Kahn, and Ray Egan. He died in Los Angeles in 1938 at age 46.
