He was a lyricist born Jacek Jelen in Poland and who emigrated to the United States with his family when he was five years old. He studied at the University of Michigan and first went into journalism, becoming a reporter for the Buffalo Courier.
After teaming up with the composer Milton Ager they entered into music publishing with the Ager-Yellen-Bernstein Music Company. He collaborated with the vaudeville star Sophie Tucker to write her own material and throughout his career he wrote over 200 successful songs recorded by numerous artists, including The Beatles “Ain’t She Sweet” and the ever popular “Happy Days Are Here Again”.
He wrote for many successful musicals including Rain or Shine, Follow A Star, and Ziegfeld Follies of 1943 and his numerous film scores included Bulldog Drummond, Another Thin Man, Night and Day, The King of Jazz, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and many more.
In 1972 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and in 1996 the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
He died at the age of 98 in Springville, New York.
The Paragon Ragtime Orchestra recordings
Bring Me Back My Lovin’ Honey Boy (George Linus Cobb/Jack Yellen)
Newport Classic NC 60069
Conductor – Rick Benjamin
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