Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania.[1]

Ned Washington
Background information
Birth nameEdward Michael Washington
Born(1901-08-15)August 15, 1901
Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 1976(1976-12-20) (aged 75)
Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
OccupationLyricist

Life and career

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Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Best Original Song award twice: in 1940 for "When You Wish Upon a Star" in Pinocchio and in 1952 for "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')" in High Noon.[2]

Washington had his roots in vaudeville as a master of ceremonies. Having started his songwriting career with Earl Carroll's Vanities on Broadway in the late 1920s, he joined the ASCAP in 1930.[citation needed] In 1934, he was signed by MGM and relocated to Hollywood, eventually writing full scores for feature films. During the 1940s, he worked for a number of studios, including Paramount, Warner Brothers, Disney, and Republic.[citation needed]

During these tenures, he collaborated with many of the great composers of the era, including Hoagy Carmichael, Victor Young, Max Steiner, and Dimitri Tiomkin.[2]

With Leigh Harline, he contributed most of the melodic songs that distinguished the Pinocchio soundtrack, including "When You Wish Upon a Star".[2]

He also served as a director of the ASCAP from 1957 until 1976,[2] the year he died of a heart ailment.[3]

Washington is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His grave is located in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery. He was posthumously honored as a Disney Legend, in 2001.[citation needed]

Songs

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Some of Washington's songwriting credits include:

References

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  1. ^ Jasen, David A. (2003). Tin Pan Alley: An Encyclopedia of the Golden Age of American Song. New York: Routledge. p. 411. ISBN 978-0415938778.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 2632. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  3. ^ a b c d e Jasen 2003, p. 412.
  4. ^ Pitney, Gene, Gene Pitney : 25 All-Time Greatest Hits, Varese Sarabande, 1999, liner notes
  5. ^ Television’s Greatest Hits, Volume II, TeeVee Tunes, Inc., New York, 1986 liner notes
  6. ^ 3:10 to Yuma, DVD, Columbia Pictures, 1957
  7. ^ Mathis, Johnny, The Music of Johnny Mathis: A Personal Collection, Columbia Music, 1993
  8. ^ Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, DVD, Paramount, 1956
  9. ^ [1] [dead link]
  10. ^ The Music of Disney : A Legacy in Song, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Music, 1992 p. 56
  11. ^ Disney 1992, p. 56.
  12. ^ "Cosi Cosa". Marx Brothers.org. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
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