The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word GERSHWIN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
G
E
R
S
H
W
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N
More clues leading to the result GERSHWIN
- US composer whinges awfully about intro of record
- Whingers unsettled composer
- Most of singers getting hot drink, shortly, for composer
- Composer, German, meets with quiet success
- Curiously his reputation ultimately grew as a composer
- Swing he composed, with bit of ragtime thrown in?
- Composer like Wagner, no man displayin’ less love
- Whingers disconcerted US composer
- One of two American brothers, awful whingers
- Singer cavorting around hotel with wife and composer
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "US composer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case us composer = gershwin.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.