She was dubbed the "Queen of Tin Pan Alley" by Irving Berlin.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, she began performing in vaudeville as a child.
"Starlight (Help Me Find The One I Love)" (1931), her first published song, was recorded by Bing Crosby.
Other notable songs include "Lullaby of the Leaves",[2] "The Lady I Love", "Close Your Eyes" (1933), "My River Home", "By a Rippling Stream", "Stay Out of My Dreams", "A Mile a Minute" and "It's All So New to Me", which was featured in the Joan Crawford film The Ice Follies of 1939 (MGM, 1939).
Her songs have been recorded by Kurt Elling, Tony Bennett, Doris Day, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Queen Latifah, Vic Damone, Betty Carter, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (together, in an instrumental version), Herb Ellis and Remo Palmier (together, in an instrumental version), Harry Belafonte, The Ventures, and Kate Smith.