Henry Mancini

Biography

Henry Mancini ( man-SEE-nee; born Enrico Nicola Mancini; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flutist, best known as a composer of film and television scores. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and twenty Grammy Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.

His best-known works include the theme and soundtrack for the television series Peter Gunn, as well as the music for The Pink Panther film series ("The Pink Panther Theme") and the song "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's. The Music from Peter Gunn won the inaugural Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1958. "Moon River" and the title song from Days of Wine and Roses, both cowritten with lyricist Johnny Mercer, won the Grammy Awards for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 1961 and 1963 respectively. Mancini enjoyed a long collaboration in composing for film director Blake Edwards. Mancini also scored a No. 1 single on the Hot 100 in 1969 with his arrangement and recording of the "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet".

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