Nelson Riddle
| Nelson Riddle | |
|---|---|
Riddle in 1958
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. |
| Born |
June 1, 1921 Oradell, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 6, 1985 (aged 64) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Traditional pop music, jazz, big band |
| Occupation(s) | Arranger, composer, bandleader, orchestrator |
| Years active | 1940s–1980s |
| Labels | Capitol |
| Associated acts | Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Matt Monro, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney, Keely Smith, Linda Ronstadt |
Nelson Smock Riddle Jr. (June 1, 1921 – October 6, 1985) was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid-1980s. His work for Capitol Records kept such vocalists as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Johnny Mathis, Rosemary Clooney and Keely Smith household names. He found commercial and critical success again in the 1980s with a trio of Platinum albums with Linda Ronstadt. His orchestrations earned an Academy Award and three Grammy Awards.
Riddle was born in Oradell, New Jersey, the only child of Marie Albertine Riddle and Nelson Smock Riddle, Sr., and later moved to nearby Ridgewood. Following his father's interest in music, he began taking piano lessons at age eight and trombone lessons at age fourteen.
A formative experience was hearing Serge Koussevitsky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra playing Maurice Ravel's Boléro. Riddle said later: "... I've never forgotten it. It's almost as if the orchestra leaped from the stage and smacked you in the face ..."
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