May 10 - Fred Astaire; Milton Babbitt; Max Steiner (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Fred Astaire (10 May 1899 – 22 June 1987) danced, acted, and sang in some of the most enduring film musicals. 
[For last year's limerick on Milton Babbitt click here.]

They Can’t Take That Away

The deftly charming Fred Astaire

Sang with such infectious flair

That it became a minor thing

That he couldn’t really sing.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪   

Milton Babbitt (10 May 1916 – 29 January 2011) was an American composer and theorist known for his uncompromising advocacy of advanced serial and electronic techniques.

Couplet for M. B.

Listening to Milton Babbitt

Seldom gets to be a habit.

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪    

Max Steiner (10 May 1888 – 28 December 1971) was one of the founding fathers of American film music.

Couplet for M. S. 

No film music’s finer

Than that of Max Steiner.

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