[1] Between ages of thirteen and sixteen, Dubin played hookey from school in order to travel into New York City to see Broadway musical shows.

At age 14 he began writing special material for a vaudeville entertainer on 28th Street between 5th and Broadway in New York City, otherwise known as Tin Pan Alley.

[6] They were married on March 19, 1921, at the Church of St. Elizabeth in New York City, after Dubin converted to the Catholic faith and McClay was granted an annulment of her first marriage.

Dubin sold his first set of lyrics for two songs "Prairie Rose" and "Sunray", in 1909 to the Witmark Music Publishing Firm.

But it was another song written with Joseph Meyer that same year that became Dubin's first big hit, "A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich and You".

In 1929, Dubin wrote "Tiptoe through the Tulips" with composer Joe Burke,[1] for the film Gold Diggers of Broadway.

In 1932, Dubin teamed officially with composer Harry Warren[11] on the movie musical 42nd Street, starring Ruby Keeler, Dick Powell, Warner Baxter and Bebe Daniels, with dance routines sequenced by Busby Berkeley.

The songwriting team of Warren and Dubin contributed four songs: "42nd Street", "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me", "Young and Healthy" and "Shuffle Off to Buffalo".