Roy Kenneth Turk was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 songwriter

Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

. A lyricist

Lyricist

A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...

, he frequently collaborated with composer Fred E. Ahlert

Fred E. Ahlert

Frederick Emil Ahlert was an American composer and songwriter. He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initially for Irving Aaronson and his Commanders and then for composer and band-leader Fred Waring...

 – their popular 1928 song "Mean to Me" has become a jazz standard

Jazz standard

Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...

. He worked with many other composers, including for film lyrics. Turk was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Songwriters Hall of Fame

The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...

 in 1970.

Overview

Among his compositions (with music by Fred Ahlert unless otherwise noted):

• 1927 - "Are You Lonesome Tonight?
  Are You Lonesome Tonight? (song)
  "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is a popular song with music by Lou Handman and lyrics by Roy Turk. It was written in 1926, first published in 1927 and most notably revived by Elvis Presley in 1960 ....
  
  " (music by Lou Handman
  Lou Handman
  Lou Handman is a composer born in New York City on September 10, 1894 and died in Flushing, New York on December 9, 1956. In his early career toured in vaudeville shows in Australia and New York. Handman worked closely with Roy Turk...
  
  ) popularized in 1960 by Elvis Presley
  Elvis Presley
  Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
  
  
• 1928 - "I'll Get By (as Long as I Have You)
  I'll Get By (as Long as I Have You)
  "I'll Get By " is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk. It was published in 1928 and originally sung by Aileen Stanley. The song was revived to even greater success in 1944, when the 1940 recording by Harry James was re-released...
  
  "
• 1928 - "Mean to Me
  Mean to Me (Fred E. Ahlert song)
  "Mean To Me" is a popular song with music by Fred E. Ahlert and lyrics by Roy Turk, published in 1929. The song is a popular standard, recorded by many artists.Doris Day recorded a version for the 1955 film Love Me or Leave Me....
  
  "
• 1931 - "I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
  I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
  "I Don't Know Why " is a popular song.The music was written by Fred E. Ahlert, the lyrics by Roy Turk. The song was published in 1931. It had three periods of great popularity: in 1931, right after its publication; in 1946; and in 1961...
  
  "
• 1931 - "Walkin' My Baby Back Home
  Walkin' My Baby Back Home (song)
  "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" is a popular song written in 1930 by Roy Turk and Fred E. Ahlert . It first charted in 1931 with versions by Nick Lucas , Ted Weems , The Charleston Chasers , and Lee Morse ....
  
  "
• 1931 - "Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)
  Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)
  "Where the Blue of the Night " was the theme Bing Crosby selected for his radio show. It was recorded in November 1931, backed by Bennie Krueger's band. The song was featured in a Mack Sennett movie short starring Bing Crosby....
  
  " for Bing Crosby
  Bing Crosby
  Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
  
  
• 1932 - "Love, You Funny Thing!"

He also worked with composers such as Harry Akst

Harry Akst

Harry Akst was an American songwriter, who started out his career as a pianist in vaudeville accompanying singers such as Nora Bayes, Frank Fay and Al Jolson.-Life and career:Akst was born in New York, United States....

, George Meyer, Charles Tobias

Charles Tobias

-Biography:Born in New York City, Tobias grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts with brothers Harry Tobias and Henry Tobias, also songwriters.He started his musical career in vaudeville. In 1923, he founded his own music publishing firm and worked on Tin Pan Alley...

, Arthur Johnston

Arthur Johnston (composer)

Arthur Johnston was a composer known for such works as “Mandy, Make Up Your Mind,” "Pennies From Heaven," and many others...

, Maceo Pinkard

Maceo Pinkard

Maceo Pinkard was an American composer, lyricist, and music publisher. Among his compositions is "Sweet Georgia Brown", a popular standard for decades after its composition and famous as the theme of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team.Pinkard was inducted in the National Academy of...

, and J. Russell Robinson

J. Russell Robinson

Joseph Russel Robinson was a United States ragtime and dixieland jazz pianist and a composer of jazz, blues, and popular tunes....

.

Sources

• Biography of Roy Turk at the Songwriters Hall of Fame
  Songwriters Hall of Fame
  The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...