Bernie Hanighen
Illustration — Fred Astaire singing Hanighen and Mercer's "Poor Mr. Chisholm" in Second Chorus (1940) Bernard D. Hanighen (April 27, 1908 in Omaha, Nebraska – October 19, 1976 in New York City, New York) was an American songwriter and record producer, best known for "When a Woman Loves a Man", and writing lyrics to the jazz composition "'Round Midnight", composed by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Hanighen also worked with Clarence Williams and Johnny Mercer.
Also recorded as Bernard D. Hanighen
Bernie Hanighen
Public domain
- Born
- 1908 · Omaha.
- Died
- 1976
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- songwriter · record producer · composer · lyricist
- Fields
- music · pop music · jazz · lyrics
- Education
- Harvard College
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Illustration — Fred Astaire singing Hanighen and Mercer's "Poor Mr. Chisholm" in Second Chorus (1940) Bernard D. Hanighen (April 27, 1908 in Omaha, Nebraska – October 19, 1976 in New York City, New York) was an American songwriter and record producer, best known for "When a Woman Loves a Man", and writing lyrics to the jazz composition "'Round Midnight", composed by jazz musician Thelonious Monk. Hanighen also worked with Clarence Williams and Johnny Mercer.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Note VALÉORINE
No house-authored Note is published until its assertions and sources pass the VALÉORINE evidence contract. The documentary article remains available in full while that enrichment is being consolidated.
Documentary enrichment in progress · no unsupported statement published
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Bernie Hanighen. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Evidence Panel
identity unresolved · checked 25 September 2026
- Identity
- unresolved
- Independent source families
- 0
- Admitted assertions
- 0
- Open conflicts
- 0
Authority files
wikidata · Q4894399 · wikipedia · Bernie Hanighen
In this article
Songwriting career
Songwriting career
Hanighen composed lyrics for the 1946 Broadway musical Lute Song, which starred Mary Martin and Yul Brynner, and which featured music by Raymond Scott. Bernie Hanighen and Cootie Williams collaborated to transform Thelonious Monk's bop masterpiece "'Round Midnight", creating what became a standard in the vocal canon thanks to performances by Mel Tormé, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Nancy Wilson, Chris Connor, and Julie London. Hanighen was one of the writers for the Sing It Again program on CBS Radio.
Producing Billie Holiday
Producing Billie Holiday
From 1936 to 1939, Hanighen co-produced Billie Holiday's early Columbia recordings with John Hammond. He and Holiday remained close friends. She wrote in her 1956 autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues: Bernie almost lost his job at Columbia fighting for me. A lot of guys were big tippers uptown, but when it came to fighting for you downtown, they were nowhere. Not Bernie. He was the cause of me making my first records under my own name - not as anybody's damn vocalist, but Billie Holiday period, and then the list of musicians backing me. Bernie Hanighen is a great guy.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 31 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,108 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Bernie ConstantinPerson
- Bernie CumminsPerson
- Bernie FinkelsteinPerson
- Bernie GlowPerson
- Bernie KrausePerson
- Bernie LeadonPerson
- Bernie LeightonPerson
- Bernie MarsdenPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Bernie Hanighen?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.