Jay Livingston

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Livingston

Jay Livingston (March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer and singer best known as half of a songwriting duo with Ray Evans that specialized in songs composed for films. Livingston wrote the music and Evans the lyrics.

Livingston was born Jacob Harold Levison in McDonald, Pennsylvania; he was Jewish. Livingston studied piano with Harry Archer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and worked as a musician at local clubs while still in high school. He attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he organized a dance band and met Evans, a fellow student in the band. Their professional collaboration began in 1937. Livingston and Evans won the Academy Award for Best Original Song three times, in 1948 for the song Buttons and Bows, written for the movie The Paleface; in 1950 for the song Mona Lisa, written for the movie Captain Carey, U.S.A.; and in 1956 for the song "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," featured in the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much. Livingston and Evans wrote popular TV themes for shows including Bonanza and Mr. Ed. They also wrote the Christmas song Silver Bells in 1951 for the film The Lemon Drop Kid initially calling it "Tinkle Bells" but changed it to "Silver" because of the common connotation of "tinkle", as well as "Never Let Me Go" for the 1956 film The Scarlet Hour.

Had one stepdaughter: Travelyn (Gordon) Livingston.

His signature tune "Silver Bells" was originally titled "Tinkle Bells".

Older brother of "Bozo the Clown" creator and former Capitol Records President, Alan Livingston.

Was nominated for Broadway's 1958 Tony Award, music and lyrics in collaboration with Ray Evans, as part of Best

Musical nomination for "Oh, Captain!".

Livingston is an inductee in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

Livingston died in Los Angeles, California, and was interred there in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. his tombstone reading, "Que Será, Será". His brother, longtime Capitol Records executive Alan W. Livingston, is best known for creating "Bozo the Clown" and signing Frank Sinatra and The Beatles among other legends with Capitol.

Inducted into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977.

Following his death, he was interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Jay Livingston and Ray Evans were awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

In their Television Archives interview, Ray Evans and Jay Livingston said when Desi Arnaz asked them to write a theme song for a Western television show, he told them he could not pay them much for a weekly salary, because the show was only going to last one year. The men made a deal with Desi to keep the rights to the song. When Bonanza became an unexpected smash-hit, owning the rights to the song, the men made millions.

Composer, Motion Pictures Songwriter. He and lyricist Ray Evans formed a songwriting duo that created songs for dozens of successful motion pictures. They thrice were awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song for pieces they composes- “Buttons and Bows", which appeared in the 1948 movie “The Paleface”, "Mona Lisa", which appeared in the 1950 movie “Captain Carey, U.S.A., and "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," from the 1956 movie “The Man Who Knew Too Much”.

Work on Broadway

Oh, Captain! (1958) - musical - co-composer and co-lyricist with Ray Evans - Tony Nomination for Best Musical

Let It Ride (1961) - musical - co-composer and co-lyricist with Ray Evans
Sugar Babies (1979) - revue - featured songwriter with Ray Evans for "The Sugar Baby Bounce"