James Kennedy (20 July 1902 – 6 April 1984) was an Irish songwriter. He was predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as "Teddy Bears' Picnic" and "My Prayer" or co-writing with composers such as Michael Carr, Wilhelm Grosz and Nat Simon. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he wrote some 2000 songs, of which over 200 became worldwide hits and about 50 are popular music classics.
Early life
Kennedy was born in Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland. He was accepted into the Colonial Service, as a civil servant, in 1927.
In 1934, Feldman turned down Kennedy's song "Isle of Capri", but it became a major hit for a new publisher, Peter Maurice.
During the early stages of the Second World War, while serving in the British Army's Royal Artillery, where he rose to the rank of captain, he wrote the wartime hit, "We're Going to Hang out the Washing on the Siegfried Line".