Henry Mancini Biography (1924-1994)



Born April 16, 1924, in Cleveland, OH; died of complications from liver and pancreatic cancer, June 14, 1994, in Los Angeles, CA. Composer and pianist. Mancini was once described as "the most-hummed man in Hollywood" for his ability to create catchy, original themes and scores for films, including "Moon River" from 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's, the title song to 1962's The Days ofWine and Roses, and the theme to the series of "Pink Panther" comedies. He studied piano and flute as a child, and began studies at New York's Juilliard School of Music before being drafted into the Army Air Force during World WarII. During the war he met several members of Glenn Miller's band, and upon returning home Mancini got a job with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, then led by Tex Beneke. In 1952 he took a position with Universal-International films contributing music to movie scenes, but left in 1954 when his score for The GlennMiller Story was nominated for an Oscar. His fame skyrocketed in 1958 when he wrote the jazz- heavy score for the television series Peter Gunn; this series also marked the beginning of a long association with producer-director Blake Edwards. During his forty-year career, Mancini wrote the score to nearly eighty films and contributed to almost two hundred; recorded eighty-five albums; received eighteen Academy Award nominations, with four Oscars; and received seventy Grammy nominations and twenty awards. He also wrote an autobiography, Did They Mention the Music?, in 1989. At the time of his death, he was writing a musical stage adaptation of Edwards' 1982 film Victor/Victoria, for whose score Mancini won his fourth Oscar.

Gender
Male
Occupation
composer
Birth Details
April 16, 1924
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Death Details
June 14, 1994
Los Angeles, California, United States

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