Born in London to immigrants from the Ukraine when it was part of the Russian Empire, Styne's family moved to Chicago when he was 8. A child prodigy on the piano, he performed with the Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis symphony orchestra before he was 10 years old. Styne is best known as a composer of music for popular songs, including many standards; he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972 and received a Johnny Mercer Award in 1993.