Winston Sharples facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Winston Sharples
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Sharples (far left) with the Burney Boys Orchestra, c. 1920s
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| Born | March 1, 1909 |
| Died | (aged 69) |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Known for | Cartoon and film music |
| Spouse(s) |
Daisy Josephine Shackley
(m. 1931; died 1937)Carmela Parrino
(m. 1938) |
| Children | 3 |
Winston Singleton Sharples (born March 1, 1909 – died April 3, 1978) was an American composer. He was famous for creating music for animated cartoons and films. Over 35 years, Sharples wrote music for more than 700 cartoons. He also composed music for two adventure films by Frank Buck.
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Early Life and Music
Winston Sharples was born in Fall River, Massachusetts. His father, William, was a machinist. Winston started singing in shows when he was only eight years old. He taught himself to play the piano. He even formed a band that played at college dances. In 1925, he finished high school.
Becoming a Performer
After high school, Winston started a band called the Burney Boys Orchestra. He played the piano and arranged the music for the group. The band traveled and performed across the country.
From 1930 to 1932, Sharples played piano on a radio show. He then moved to New York City in 1932. There, he played piano with a famous orchestra led by Vincent Lopez.
Composing for Cartoons
Winston Sharples began writing music for cartoons in 1932. He worked for Van Beuren Studios. During this time, he also wrote music for two adventure films: Wild Cargo (1934) and Fang and Claw (1935).
In 1936, Sharples became the music director for Max Fleischer's studio. This studio made many popular cartoons. In 1938, he wrote the song "It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day" for Fleischer's full-length movie, Gulliver's Travels. This song became very popular.
In 1942, Fleischer Studios moved to New York City and was renamed Famous Studios. Sharples continued to lead the music there.
Music for Famous Cartoons
In 1946, Sharples became the main music director for Paramount Studios. He wrote music for many of their cartoons. These included popular series like:
- Popeye the Sailor
- Superman
- Casper the Friendly Ghost
- Little Lulu
- Baby Huey
- Herman and Katnip
He joined a group called ASCAP in 1948, which helps protect the rights of music creators. In 1958, Sharples worked with Joe Oriolo on the Felix the Cat TV show. He created the famous theme song for Felix the Cat.
Later Music Projects
In the late 1950s, Sharples and producer Hal Seeger started a company called Scroll Productions. They created a library of music from old Paramount cartoons. This music was then used in many other TV shows, including:
- Popeye (for TV)
- Barney Google
- Beetle Bailey
- King Leonardo
- Tennessee Tuxedo
- Batfink
Sharples also composed the theme song for Seeger's Milton the Monster TV series in 1965. He continued to work at the Paramount cartoon studio until it closed in 1967. He even added jazz and rock and roll styles to his music for newer cartoons.
Family Life
In 1931, Winston Sharples married Daisy Shackley. They had a son, Winston Sharples, Jr., who also became a music director. They also had a daughter, Daisy. After his first wife passed away in 1937, he married Carmela Parrino. She was also a talented musician. They had a son named Michael.
Death
Winston Sharples passed away at the age of 69 in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Images for kids
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Winston Sharples (far left) with the Burney Boys Orchestra, around the 1920s.
