Alan W. Livingston facts for kids

Alan Wendell Livingston (born Alan Wendell Levison; October 15, 1917 – March 13, 2009) was an important American businessman. He worked in the music and television industries. He is famous for his time at Capitol Records, where he created the well-known character Bozo the Clown. He also helped launch the very successful TV show Bonanza when he was a Vice-president at NBC in 1959.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Alan Livingston was born in McDonald, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, on October 15, 1917. He was the youngest of three children. His mother encouraged him and his siblings to read and play music. His older brother, Jay Livingston, became a famous songwriter. Jay wrote many popular songs for movies and TV, like "Mona Lisa" and "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)".

Alan started his career in entertainment by leading his own college orchestra. This was while he was a student at the University of Pennsylvania. After college, he worked in advertising for three years in New York. When World War II began, he joined the United States Army. After the war, he moved to Los Angeles, California. There, he got his first job at Capitol Records.

Working at Capitol Records

At Capitol Records, Livingston's first big task was to create a children's music collection. For this, he invented the character "Bozo the Clown". He wrote and produced a popular series of records and books. These "record-reader" sets allowed children to follow a story in pictures while listening to it. This idea was new and very popular.

The first Bozo record, "Bozo at the Circus," came out in 1946. Livingston designed Bozo's look himself. He hired Pinto Colvig to be Bozo's voice on the recordings. Colvig was also the original voice for Walt Disney characters like Pluto and Goofy. The Bozo series was a huge success for Capitol Records. It sold over eight million albums in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Bozo also became a mascot for the record company.

Livingston also created many other children's recordings. These included stories for Walt Disney and Warner Bros. characters like Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker. He even wrote the 1951 hit song "I Tawt I Taw A Puddy Tat" for Mel Blanc's Tweety Pie.

Later, Livingston moved into adult music. He became a vice president in charge of all creative work at Capitol Records. He made a very important decision by signing Frank Sinatra. At the time, Sinatra's career was not doing well. Livingston wanted Sinatra to work with arranger Nelson Riddle. Their first song together, "I've Got the World on a String," was a hit. But it was "Young at Heart" that truly helped Sinatra's career bounce back.

Livingston is known for helping Capitol Records grow a lot. The company's sales went from $6 million to over $100 million each year. He also inspired the design of the unique Capitol Records Tower. This building, finished in 1956, was the first circular office building in the world.

Moving to NBC and Back to Capitol

After 10 years at Capitol, Livingston sold the "Bozo the Clown" rights (but kept the recording rights). He then became President of California National Productions, a film company owned by NBC. Soon after, he also became Vice President of NBC. In this role, he oversaw TV programming. He hired David Dortort to create the pilot for the TV series Bonanza. His brother, Jay Livingston, wrote the famous theme song for the show.

In 1960, Capitol Records asked Livingston to return as president. He eventually became chairman of the board. During this time, he helped Capitol Records sign many rock artists. These included The Beach Boys, Steve Miller, and The Band. One of his most important decisions was agreeing to release the Beatles' song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" in 1963. Capitol had rejected their earlier songs, even though The Beatles' UK record company, EMI, owned Capitol.

Later Ventures and Achievements

Livingston later started his own company, Mediarts, Inc. This company produced movies, records, and music. He sold his share of Mediarts to United Artists. This was after Mediarts had great success with artist Don McLean. McLean's song "American Pie" became a number one hit in 1972. Mediarts also made two movies: Downhill Racer (1969) starring Robert Redford and Unman, Wittering and Zigo (1971).

In 1976, Livingston joined Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation as a Senior Vice President. He left in 1980 to lead another company. In 1987, he resigned to produce a TV show called Sparky's Magic Piano. He also started Pacific Rim Productions, Inc. for animation.

Livingston also wrote a novel called Ronnie Finkelhof, Superstar. It was published in 1988.

In 1998, Alan Livingston received an award for creating "Bozo the Clown." The International Clown Hall of Fame gave him their Lifetime of Laughter Achievement Award.

Family and Passing

Alan Livingston was married three times. His third and final marriage was to actress Nancy Olson. She was known for her roles in movies like Sunset Boulevard and The Absent-Minded Professor. They lived in Beverly Hills, California. Their son, Christopher Livingston, is a movie producer and writer. Alan also had a daughter, Laura Livingston Gibson, from an earlier marriage.

Alan Livingston passed away at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on March 13, 2009, at the age of 91, after a period of illness. He was survived by his wife, Nancy Olson, his son Christopher, and his daughter Laura.