The song of the day for Tuesday, June 1, 2021, is “Fly Me to the Moon.”

About Today

Today, we are celebrating the birth of composer Bart Howard, who was born on June 1, 1915, in Burlington, Iowa. He started his career as an accompanist at the age of 16. Though he wrote other songs in his career as a pianist and composer, “Fly Me to the Moon” is the song he is best known for. He wrote the song for his partner of 58 years, Bud Fowler.

About This Song

Bart Howard wrote “Fly Me to the Moon” in 1954, originally titled “In Other Words.” The song was not doing that well, in spite of several recordings. In 1962, Howard renamed the song “Fly Me To The Moon,” and the song began to catch on. Tony Bennett’s 1965 recording for If I Ruled The World was a big hit for Bennett. There have been many recordings of the song, including those by Frank Sinatra, Kaye Ballard, and many more. However, Bart Howard told Bennett that his 1965 recording was “the definitive performance of this song.”

About This Version

Tony Bennett recorded “Fly Me to the Moon” in 1965 for If I Ruled The World: Songs Of The Jet Set. It was arranged by Don Costa.

“Fly Me to the Moon,” as well as If I Ruled The World: Songs Of The Jet Set, is available from Apple Music.