Robert Sour
Robert B. Sour was an influential American lyricist, composer, and music industry executive, born on October 31, 1905, in New York City. He began his songwriting career in 1929 and is renowned for co-writing the lyrics to the classic ballad "Body and Soul" with Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, and composer Johnny Green. In collaboration with Una Mae Carlisle, he penned the lyrics for "Walkin' by the River," a song that gained popularity in 1941 through various recordings, including those by Sylvia Froos, Ella Fitzgerald, and Benny Carter.
Sour's contributions extended to film and theater, where he worked on the soundtrack for Disney's animated feature "Bambi" (1942), alongside Henry Katzman. His career at Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) began as a lyrics editor in 1940, eventually rising to the position of president from 1966 to 1968, and later serving as vice chairman. Sour played a pivotal role in establishing BMI's musical theater workshop before retiring in 1970.
In his personal life, Sour was married to Jane Erstein and later to Barbara Scofield, with whom he had four children. He served as a juror in the 1963 murder trial of Eddie Lee Mays, the last person executed in New York. Robert Sour passed away on March 6, 1985, in New York City at the age of 79.
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