George Bruns facts for kids

Quick facts for kids George Bruns
Bruns in 1955
Background information
Born	(1914-07-03)July 3, 1914 Sandy, Oregon, U.S.
Died	May 23, 1983(1983-05-23) (aged 68) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Genres	Film score jazz
Occupation(s)	Composer conductor musician
Instruments	Trombone tuba double bass piano
Years active	1930s—1983

George Edward Bruns (born July 3, 1914 – died May 23, 1983) was an American composer who wrote music for movies and TV shows. He was nominated for four Academy Awards and three Grammy Awards.

Bruns is best known for his music for many Disney films. He worked on these movies from the 1950s to the 1970s. Some of his famous works include Sleeping Beauty (1959), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), The Jungle Book (1967), and Robin Hood (1973).

George Bruns was born in Sandy, Oregon. He started playing piano when he was six years old. After college, he led a band in Portland, Oregon. Later, he moved to Los Angeles to work more in music. In 1953, Walt Disney Studios hired him. He became the studio's music director and worked there until he retired in 1976.

Bruns was nominated for four Academy Awards for his Disney film music. He was also nominated for the song "Love" from Robin Hood. He spent his later years in Oregon, writing music and teaching. George Bruns passed away in 1983. In 2001, he was honored as a Disney Legend.

George Bruns' Life Story

Early Years and Music Beginnings

George Edward Bruns was born on July 3, 1914, in Sandy, Oregon. He was one of three children. His father owned a lumber mill. George showed a love for music very early on. He began playing the piano at age six. He also learned to play the bass tuba.

Eventually, he became good at playing 15 different instruments. He even played in a high school band while still in elementary school! He went to Sandy High School and then studied engineering at Oregon State University. In the 1930s, he played music with different groups in Portland, Oregon. He also performed with a traveling band.

In 1946, he became the music director at a radio station called KEX in Portland. He also led the band at the Multnomah Hotel. From 1947 to 1949, he played the trombone with the Castle Jazz Band.

Working with Walt Disney

In the late 1940s, George Bruns moved to Los Angeles. There, he worked in music studios and played with jazz bands. In 1953, Walt Disney hired him. George Bruns became Disney's music director. He held this important job until he retired in 1976. Even after retiring, he kept working on Disney projects.

One of his first big jobs at Disney was in 1953. He composed and changed music from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet. This music was used in the 1959 Disney movie Sleeping Beauty.

Bruns wrote music for many other Disney films. These included live-action movies like The Absent-Minded Professor. He also composed scores for animated classics. Some of these were One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, and Robin Hood.

He also created the fun theme song for Herbie the Love Bug. Bruns helped write other famous Disney songs too. These include "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. He also co-wrote "The Ballad of Davy Crockett". And he wrote "Love" from Robin Hood. While working at Disney, Bruns still played dixieland jazz. He led his own band and sometimes played with the Disney "house" band, the Firehouse Five Plus Two.

Later Years and Passing

George Bruns retired from Disney in 1976. He moved back to his hometown of Sandy, Oregon. He taught music part-time at Lewis & Clark College. He also continued to play music and compose. He even recorded a jazz album that was sold locally.

Bruns passed away from a heart attack on May 23, 1983. He was in Portland, Oregon. He was survived by his wife, Dorothy, and their six children. George Bruns was honored as a Disney Legend in 2001. This award recognized his amazing contributions to Disney.

Movies George Bruns Scored

All films were made by Walt Disney Productions unless noted.

Produced and released by Paramount Pictures

Awards and Nominations