Died On This Date (March 11, 2011) Hugh Martin / Wrote “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
themusicsover Hugh Martin
August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011
Hugh Martin was a highly successful American theatrical and film composer and arranger. Over the course of a career that spanned some 60 years, Martin wrote the music and in some cases the lyrics for such musicals as Make A Wish, High Spirits, and his most celebrated, Meet Me In St. Louis, in which Judy Garland sang his “The Trolley Song,” “The Boy Next Door,” and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” He also worked as a vocal arranger on Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Sugar Babies, and Top Banana to name a few. His film credits include Athena, The Girl Most Likely, and Best Foot Forward. Hugh Martin was 96 when he passed away on March 11, 2011.
You can learn more about Hugh Martin by watching THIS INTERVIEW for the National Association of Music Merchants.
Eddie Snyder was an American composer who is best remembered for co-writing the English lyrics and music for the 
George Shearing was a popular and influential jazz pianist and composer who could claim over 300 pieces as his own. Born blind in London, Shearing spent his early professional career playing in an all-blind band – he started playing the piano at just three years old. During his late 20s, Shearing moved to the United States where he continued to master his complex style of swing, bop and bebop. In 1949, he formed the George Shearing Quintet and went on to record for such labels as Verve, Capitol, and MGM. His hits included “Lullaby Of Birdland” and “September In The Rain.” Over the years he’s collaborated with the likes of 
John Barry was a prolific composer whose iconic works include eleven of the James Bond film scores. It was Barry’s music in those movies that helped create a mood that defined the character and series. Over a career that stretched across five decades, Barry won numerous awards including five Academy Awards, a Grammy, and a BAFTA, which is the British equivalent of an Oscar. His other film scores include Out of Africa, Born Free, Midnight Cowboy, Dances With Wolves, Chaplin, and Somewhere In Time, to name just a few. Barry also scored numerous television programs. Many of his soundtracks included singles that landed high on both UK and US charts. John Barry was 77 when, on January 30, 2011, he died of a heart attack.
Milton Babbitt was an American composer who helped develop the world’s first synthesizer during the 1950s. Babbitt was just 4 years old when he took up the violin, and within a few years he branched out to the saxophone and clarinet. He was arranging songs by the time he was 7, and winning songwriting contests by 13. In college, Babbitt received honors for his studies in both music and mathematics. After the development of RCA’s Mark II synthesizer, Babbitt devoted his time and energy to making electronic music, often combining synthesizer and conventional instruments. Milton Babbitt passed away on January 29, 2011. He was 94.
