Spud
Posted on 08/13/2005 3:23:51 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES - Lyle "Spud" Murphy, a prolific Hollywood composer and arranger best known for developing a composing system widely used by professional musicians, has died. He was 96.
Murphy died Aug. 5 at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital of complications from recent surgery, colleagues said.
Murphy, who contributed music to more than 50 films, arranged two of bandleader Benny Goodman's biggest hits, "Get Happy" and "Jingle Bells," and also transformed the children's song "Three Blind Mice" into the theme for the Three Stooges show.
In his later years, Murphy kept active by spreading his method of composing, arranging and orchestration, which he began teaching decades ago.
Born in Berlin, Murphy moved to the United States at age 4 with his mother and grew up in Utah. He showed early talent for music and would eventually master the trumpet, all the saxophones and other woodwinds.
He got his first music job at 16 and landed in New York City in 1933, where he became well-known for his arrangements for bandleaders, including Goodman.
Murphy moved to California in the late 1930s and worked at Columbia Pictures, but left there to serve in the merchant marine in World War II.
He resumed film work after the war and the by the late 1940s, arrangers had become fascinated with his writing techniques. One student persuaded Murphy to teach him his method and Murphy would go onto train hundreds of students in his composing and arranging process called the Equal Interval System.
Several colleagues described Murphy as a Renaissance man who spoke several languages, a student of boxing and an expert in astronomy, geography and the Titanic.
He is survived by his daughters, Lilith and Jolie, and two grandchildren. A memorial service has been scheduled for Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. at Forest Lawn in Glendale.
ON THE NET
Lyle "Spud" Murphy's Equal Interval System: http://www.equalinterval.com
WWII Merchant Marine
RIP Spud
A lucky fellow, imo
You gotta respect a long, full life like that.
Spud
It seems like a large number of composers from the entertainment industry have bought the farm in the past year or so.
Many of them smoke and drank like fiends, yaknow. ;)
That's got to catch up with you eventually.
This was due to surgery complications, he probably was gonna hit 100 other wise..
He worked with some greats.
Wonder what kind of surgery they felt was necessary on a 96 yr old?
"Get Happy" was composed by the great Harold Arlen. It was his first hit. He also composed all of the songs in "The Wizard Of Oz"
Dumb journalists.
He was an arranger too,, maybe he re-arranged it. :)
You'll have to ask his surgeons - Doctor Howard, Doctor Fine, and Doctor Howard.
"What did you do for the patient?"
"Nuttin'... what did he ever do for us?"
Freeping - For Duty and Humanity!
"Nuttin'... what did he ever do for us?"
"Where are the tools?"
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