Role

:

Composer Conductor  

Country

:

United States of America

Birth

:

May 12, 1910 in Webster Groves, MO

Death

:

May 1, 1984 in Malibu, CA

Genre

:

Orchestral

 

Gordon Jenkins was an American composer, arranger, and conductor who made significant contributions to the world of classical music. Born on May 12, 1910, in Webster Groves, Missouri, Jenkins was the son of a piano teacher and a church organist. He began playing the piano at a young age and showed a natural talent for music. Jenkins' family moved to California when he was a teenager, and he began playing in local dance bands. He soon became a sought-after arranger and composer, working with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. In the 1940s, Jenkins began working as a conductor for Decca Records, where he arranged and conducted some of the label's most successful recordings. He also began composing his own music, including the popular song "This Is All I Ask," which was recorded by Sinatra and became a hit in 1965. Jenkins' career reached new heights in the 1950s, when he began working on a series of concept albums that combined classical music with popular songs. His first album in this style, "Seven Dreams," was released in 1953 and featured Jenkins' own compositions as well as arrangements of works by composers such as Chopin and Tchaikovsky. Jenkins continued to release successful albums throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including "The Magic World of Gordon Jenkins" and "Manhattan Tower." He also worked on several film scores, including the music for the 1956 film "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit." In addition to his work as a composer and arranger, Jenkins was also a respected conductor. He led several orchestras throughout his career, including the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Jenkins received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including several Grammy Awards and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Three Coins in the Fountain," which he co-wrote with Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne. Despite his success, Jenkins remained humble and dedicated to his craft. He continued to work on new music until his death on May 1, 1984, in Malibu, California. Today, he is remembered as one of the most innovative and influential composers and arrangers of his time, and his music continues to inspire new generations of musicians.

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