Matty Malneck was a songwriter, arranger, violinist, and bandleader whose compositions became standards of American popular music. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1903, he spent eleven years with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, where he served as both a performer and arranger while beginning to write songs. His best-known composition, Stairway to the Stars, originated as an instrumental piece called Park Avenue Fantasy, co-written with Frank Signorelli in 1931 for Whiteman's band. Mitchell Parish added lyrics in 1935, and Glenn Miller's 1939 recording made it a widely recognized standard. Malneck's other enduring songs include I'm Through with Love, co-written with Fud Livingston and lyricist Gus Kahn, which gained renewed visibility through Marilyn Monroe's performance in the 1959 film Some Like It Hot and later recordings by Diana Krall. He also wrote Goody Goody with Johnny Mercer, a number-one hit in 1936. After leaving Whiteman, Malneck formed his own big band in 1935, which remained active through the 1950s. His songs are distinguished by graceful melodies that have lent themselves to both jazz interpretation and vocal performance across generations.
