Gordon Jenkins
| Gordon Jenkins | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gordon Hill Jenkins |
| Born |
May 12, 1910 Webster Groves, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | May 1, 1984 (aged 73) Malibu, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Popular music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, arranger, conductor, musician |
| Instruments | Piano |
Gordon Hill Jenkins (May 12, 1910 – May 1, 1984) was an American arranger, composer and pianist who was an influential figure in popular music in the 1940s and 1950s, renowned for his lush string arrangements. Jenkins worked with the Andrews Sisters, Johnny Cash, The Weavers, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Harry Nilsson, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others.
Gordon Jenkins was born in Webster Groves, Missouri. He began his career doing arrangements for a St. Louis radio station. He was then hired by Isham Jones, the director of a dance band known for its ensemble playing, which gave Jenkins the opportunity to develop his skills in melodic scoring. He also conducted The Show Is On on Broadway.
After the Jones band broke up in 1936, Jenkins worked as a freelance arranger and songwriter, contributing to sessions by Isham Jones, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman, Andre Kostelanetz, Lennie Hayton, and others. In 1938, Jenkins moved to Hollywood and worked for Paramount Pictures and NBC, and then became Dick Haymes' arranger for four years. In 1944, Jenkins had a hit song with "San Fernando Valley". In the 1940s, he was music director for the radio version of the program Mayor of the Town, and his orchestra provided the music for Ransom Sherman's program on CBS.
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