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Henry Mancini




Henry Mancini ( April 16 , 1924June 14 , 1994 ), was a noted American Composer and Arranger . He is remembered particularly for being a composer of Film and Television scores, and won a record number of Grammy awards (including a "Lifetime Achievement" award in 1995 ).

He was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in Cleveland, Ohio , and grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania .

Although he was drafted into the Army during World War Two , Mancini was able to get a transfer from the infantry to the band. The compositions for which he is best known include " Moon River " (the theme song from the 1961 film '' Breakfast At Tiffany's ''), and the theme music for the 1963 films '' The Pink Panther '' and '' Charade ''. Interestingly, he also wrote a score for the Alfred Hitchcock film '' Frenzy '' (1972) that was ultimately rejected.

He is often credited with composing the music for the '' Peanuts '' movies, the well-known theme ''Linus and Lucy'' in particular. However, these songs were composed and performed by another esteemed jazz pianist, Vince Guaraldi . Although much of Mancini's work can be classified as Easy Listening , he was capable of writing powerful and rousing scores such as that for '' Lifeforce ''.

Two of his earliest scores were for the TV shows, '' Peter Gunn '' ( 1958 ) and ''Mr. Lucky'' ( 1959 ). A notable addition later in his career was the theme song to the sitcom '' Newhart '' ( 1982 ).

He died at age 70 in Beverly Hills, California of Pancreatic Cancer .


SELECTED SONGS

  • From '' Peter Gunn '' (lyrics by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston )

  • ---"Peter Gunn Theme"

  • ---"Bye Bye"

  • ---"The Brothers Go to Mother's"

  • ---"Dreamsville"

  • ---"Blues for Mother's"

  • ---"Sorta Blue"

  • ---"Slow and Easy"

  • From ''The Richard Boone Show'' (lyrics by Al Stillman )

  • ---"How Soon"

  • "Man's Favorite Sport" (1963) (lyrics by Johnny Mercer )

  • "I Love You and Don't You Forget It" (1963) (lyrics by Al Stillman)

  • Remington Steele Theme

  • "Love Theme From Romeo & Juliet"/"The Windmills of Your Mind" (1969) (This was a Mancini recording, music by Nino Rota and Michel Legrand , respectively)



SELECTED MOVIES



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