Leroy Holmes
| LeRoy Holmes | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alvin LeRoy Holmes |
| Born |
September 22, 1913 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States |
| Died | July 27, 1986 (aged 72) Los Angeles, California United States |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, conductor, songwriter |
| Labels | |
LeRoy Holmes (September 22, 1913 – July 27, 1986) was an American songwriter, composer, arranger, orchestra conductor and record producer.
Holmes graduated from Hollywood High School, studied music at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and the Juilliard School in New York, before working with a number of bandleaders during the 1930s and early 1940s. These included , Vincent Lopez, and Harry James, for whose band, he wrote "The Mole".
After serving as a pilot and flying instructor, a lieutenant in the US Navy during the Second World War, he moved to Hollywood, where he was hired by MGM Music Studios as a house arranger and conductor. In 1950, he relocated to New York and continued as a record producer for MGM, and later moved to United Artists. During his time with MGM, he backed numerous vocalists, including Judy Garland, and in 1954 made what is possibly his best known recording, a version of the theme to the film The High and the Mighty. It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. The song is known for its distinctive accompanying whistling, which was provided by Fred Lowery. Holmes provided the orchestration for Tommy Edwards epic 1958 hit "It's All In The Game", and tried rock and R&B with his backing to the Impalas "Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home)". Holmes also wrote the theme song to the television series International Detective.
...
Wikipedia