"Mon Homme", also known by its English translation, "My Man", is a popular song first published in 1920. The song was originally composed by Maurice Yvain with French lyrics by Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) and Albert Willemetz. The English lyrics were written by Channing Pollock.

History

"Mon Homme" was copyrighted in France by Maurice Yvain, Albert Willemetz and Jacques-Charles (Jacques Mardochée Charles) in 1920 and was introduced to Parisian audiences in the revue Paris qui Jazz at the Casino de Paris. The song was performed by revue star Mistinguett and her stage partner American dancer Harry Pilcer. Although the song originated in France –where it was a hit for Mistinguett– it was popularized in the English-speaking world in the 1920s with the 1921 recording by Ziegfeld Follies singer Fanny Brice. The song was a hit, and the record eventually earned a Grammy Hall of Fame Award for Brice in 1999. Brice also sang the song during one of the sound sequences of the part-talkie film My Man (1928). Alice Faye sang it in the musical film Rose of Washington Square (1939), a thinly veiled biography of Fanny Brice. The ballad version recorded by Brice was modified by Billie Holiday, who introduced a jazz/blues recording of "My Man" in 1937. Holiday's version was also successful, although the song continued to be associated with Brice. Over the years, other artists from both the United States and abroad covered the song, though none of the artists achieved as much success as Brice and Holiday. Holiday's version of the song was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018.

Notable cover versions