Harold Manfred Kirchstein, known professionally as Henri René, was an influential American musician born on December 29, 1906, in New York City. He was the son of a German father and a French mother. René's musical journey began in Germany, where he studied at the Royal Berlin Academy of Music. In the mid-1920s, he returned to the United States and performed with various orchestras. He later went back to Berlin, contributing to the German film industry as a composer and working as an arranger for a German record label.

During his European tours, René became the musical director for Tobis and UFA, two major European film companies. In 1936, he returned to the U.S. and joined RCA Victor as a musical director and chief arranger, forming his own orchestra in 1941. René was a versatile instrumentalist, proficient in piano, saxophone, and Musette accordion. He gained recognition for the "Beer Barrel Polka" record, which was pivotal in the evolution of the music machine as an entertainment medium.

After serving in World War II, René resumed his work with RCA Victor, creating successful records and pioneering the space-age pop aesthetic in the 1950s. He collaborated with notable artists such as Harry Belafonte and Eartha Kitt. René also composed music for television series and continued to work in music production until he left RCA Victor in 1959 to pursue a freelance career. Henri René passed away on April 25, 1993, in Houston, Texas, and his legacy is commemorated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.