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...
