Miss America returns to Atlantic City from Las Vegas this year, but that maddeningly unforgettable theme song (you know you know it) will be left behind.
The Press of Atlantic City reports that the settlement of a lawsuit by songwriter Bernie Wayne's widow appears to be the reason "There She Is, Miss America" will go unheard in Boardwalk Hall on September 15. Phyllis Wayne had sued the pageant for unauthorized use of her husband's song in Las Vegas in 2011 and 2012.
Bernie Wayne, who grew up in Paterson, was a prolific composer and came up with the "There She Is" while getting a haircut in 1954. Host/icon Bert Parks debuted it at the 1955 pageant and continued to warble the theme song until he was fired in 1979. Later, a dispute between pageant and the composer resulted in the song's replacement by other ditties for three years.
But nothing could replace lyrics like these: "The dream of a million girls who are more than pretty can come true in Atlantic City."