▁radio ▁station ▁W E AF ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁He ▁began ▁performing ▁profession ally ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁and ▁played ▁piano ▁in ▁bands ▁led ▁by ▁Paul ▁Wh item an , ▁Andre ▁Kost el an etz , ▁Tommy ▁Dor sey , ▁and ▁Raymond ▁Scott . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁staff ▁pian ist ▁on ▁CBS ▁radio ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁G ross ▁led ▁the ▁or chestra ▁for ▁Frank ▁Sin atra ' s ▁CBS ▁program , ▁Ref lections . ▁ ▁After ▁serving ▁in ▁the ▁military ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁G ross ▁became ▁an ▁executive ▁at ▁Music raft ▁Records , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁conduct or , ▁arr anger , ▁and ▁pian ist ▁for ▁recording ▁sessions . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁approached ▁by ▁noted ▁ly ric ist ▁Jack ▁Lawrence , ▁who ▁asked ▁permission ▁to ▁add ▁words ▁to ▁an ▁un t itled ▁mel ody ▁G ross ▁had ▁composed . ▁At ▁first ▁G ross ▁was ▁rel uct ant ▁to ▁co oper ate , ▁and ▁after ▁Lawrence ▁presented ▁his ▁finished ▁lyr ics , ▁G ross ▁expressed ▁diss atisf action ▁with ▁the ▁words ▁and ▁title . ▁Lawrence ▁eventually ▁succeeded ▁in ▁finding ▁a ▁publish er ▁for ▁the ▁new ▁work , ▁and ▁shortly ▁there after ▁it ▁was ▁recorded ▁by ▁Sarah ▁V aug han . ▁While ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁mod est ▁hit , ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁V aug han ' s ▁first ▁solo ▁chart ▁success ▁and ▁marked ▁her