Mort Lindsey facts for kids

Mort Lindsey, born Morton Lippman (March 21, 1923 – May 4, 2012), was a very talented musician. He was an orchestrator, composer, pianist, and conductor. He also worked as a musical director for many famous stars. These included Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Pat Boone, and Merv Griffin.

Early Life and Education

Mort Lippman was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 21, 1923. He went to Newark Arts High School. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Forces.

After the war, he studied at Columbia College. He earned a bachelor's degree there. He also got a master's degree from Columbia University in the 1940s. Later, in 1974, he earned a special doctoral degree in music education from Columbia University.

Music Career Highlights

In the late 1940s, Mort Lindsey was part of a music group called the Playboys. He played with jazz guitarist Johnny Smith and organist Arlo Hults. They performed at NBC.

In 1956, he wrote a song called "Rock 'N' Roll Polka." It was recorded by John Serry Sr.

Working with Judy Garland

Mort Lindsey was the musical director and conductor for Judy Garland's tour in 1961. He led the music for her famous concert. This concert was held on April 23, 1961, at Carnegie Hall.

Composing for Movies

Lindsey also wrote music for many movies. Some of his movie scores include Gay Purr-ee (1962) and 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962). He also composed for I Could Go On Singing (1963) and Stolen Hours (1963). Other films were The Best Man (1964) and Real Life (1979). For the movie Cats Don't Dance (1997), he wrote the song "Tell Me Lies."

The Merv Griffin Show and Wheel of Fortune

From 1965 to 1986, Lindsey was the musical director and bandleader for The Merv Griffin Show. He even wrote one of the show's theme songs.

He also worked with Merv Griffin to create the song "Changing Keys." This song became the famous theme music for the game show Wheel of Fortune. It was used from 1983 until 2000.

Emmy Award Winner

In 1969, Mort Lindsey won an Emmy Award. This award was for his amazing work in music. He won it for being the musical director for "Barbra Streisand: A Happening in Central Park." This was a huge concert with 135,000 people. It was shown as a TV special on CBS in 1968.

Family Life and Passing

In 1944, Mort Lindsey married Betty Szold. They later divorced. In 1954, he married Betty (Bonney) Broyles. She was a singer known as Judy Johnson. She toured with the Les Brown Orchestra.

Mort had three sons: David, Steve, and Trevor. He also had three daughters: Deborah, Judy, and Bonney.

Mort Lindsey passed away at his home in Malibu, California, on May 4, 2012.