Jay Livingston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jay Livingston
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Livingston
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| Born |
Jacob Harold Levison
March 28, 1915 McDonald, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | October 17, 2001 (aged 86) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Pennsylvania |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Years active | 1937–2001 |
| Spouse(s) | Lynne Gordon (1947–1991; her death; 1 child) Shirley Mitchell (1992–2001; his death) |
Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison; March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was a famous American composer. He was best known for being half of a songwriting team with Ray Evans. They wrote many popular songs for films and television. Livingston wrote the music, and Evans wrote the lyrics.
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Early life and music career
Jay Livingston was born in McDonald, Pennsylvania. His family was Jewish. He had an older sister, Vera, and a younger brother, Alan W. Livingston. Alan later became an important executive at Capitol Records and NBC television.
Jay learned to play the piano in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He went to the University of Pennsylvania. There, he started a dance band and met Ray Evans, who was also a student in the band.
Even though they started writing songs together in 1937, Livingston and Evans became very successful in 1946. Their song "To Each His Own" became a huge hit. It reached number one on the Billboard charts for three different singers.
Award-winning songs
Their next big hit was "Buttons and Bows" in 1947. This song sold millions of copies. It also won an Academy Award for Best Song. In 1949, they wrote "Mona Lisa". This song was a hit for many artists in 1950. It sold a million copies for Nat King Cole and won them another Best Song Oscar.
Livingston and Evans won their third Oscar in 1956 for the song "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)". This famous song was featured in the movie The Man Who Knew Too Much. They also wrote "Tammy" for the movie Tammy and the Bachelor in 1957.
TV themes and other hits
Livingston and Evans also wrote popular TV show theme songs. These included the themes for Bonanza and Mister Ed. Jay Livingston even sang the theme song for Mister Ed himself!
In 1951, they wrote the popular Christmas song "Silver Bells" for the film The Lemon Drop Kid. They first called it "Tinkle Bells" but changed it to "Silver" because of another meaning for "tinkle." They also wrote "Never Let Me Go" for the 1956 film The Scarlet Hour. Famous singer Johnny Mathis sang Livingston's song "All The Time".
Jay Livingston appeared as himself with Ray Evans in the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard.
Honors and recognition
Jay Livingston is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. This means his work is recognized as very important in music history. In 2004, a special historical marker was placed in McDonald, Pennsylvania. This marker remembers his amazing achievements.
Later life and passing
Jay Livingston passed away in Los Angeles on October 17, 2001. He was buried in Westwood Memorial Park Cemetery. His tombstone has the words, "Que Será, Será," which is the title of one of his most famous songs.
His wife, actress Shirley Mitchell, passed away in 2013.
Work on Broadway musicals
Jay Livingston also worked on several Broadway musicals. He often worked with Ray Evans on these projects too.
- Oh, Captain! (1958) – This was a musical. He was a co-composer and co-lyricist with Ray Evans. The musical was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical.
- Let It Ride (1961) – Another musical where he was a co-composer and co-lyricist with Ray Evans.
- Sugar Babies (1979) – This was a revue show. He was a featured songwriter with Ray Evans for the song "The Sugar Baby Bounce."
