LIVINGSTON & EVANS
Ray Evans and Jay Livingston were the legendary Academy Award-winning songwriting team behind some of the most memorable music in film history. With Evans as the lyricist and Livingston as the composer, the duo specialized in crafting original songs and scores for the screen, seamlessly blending lyrical wit with melodic charm.
They first met at the University of Pennsylvania, where Livingston had formed a campus dance band. Their songwriting partnership began in earnest in 1937, but it wasn't until 1946 that they made their breakthrough with "To Each His Own". The song was a runaway success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts for three different artists and holding five of the top ten positions on the "Most Played on the Air" chart for several weeks-a remarkable feat.
A string of hits followed. In 1948, "Buttons and Bows", a catchy tune with Western flair, won them their first Academy Award for Best Original Song. Two years later, they scored again with "Mona Lisa", made iconic by Nat King Cole, which earned them a second Oscar. Their third came in 1956 for "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)", featured in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much and forever immortalized by Doris Day.
In 1957, they penned "Tammy" for Tammy and the Bachelor, another enduring hit. Their talents extended beyond film-Evans and Livingston also wrote theme songs for beloved television series such as Bonanza and Mister Ed (with Livingston himself performing the latter). In 1951, they added a holiday classic to their catalog with "Silver Bells", introduced in The Lemon Drop Kid. They also contributed to the stage, writing for Broadway productions including Oh, Captain! (1958), Let It Ride (1961), and Sugar Babies (1979).
Over the course of their careers, Evans and Livingston created more than 700 songs for film, television, and theater-most of them as a team. Their music, marked by elegance, warmth, and wit, became part of the American cultural fabric.
Jay Livingston passed away in 2001 at the age of 86, followed by Ray Evans in 2007 at 92. Together, they left behind a rich musical legacy, cementing their place as icons in the history of American songwriting.
They first met at the University of Pennsylvania, where Livingston had formed a campus dance band. Their songwriting partnership began in earnest in 1937, but it wasn't until 1946 that they made their breakthrough with "To Each His Own". The song was a runaway success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts for three different artists and holding five of the top ten positions on the "Most Played on the Air" chart for several weeks-a remarkable feat.
A string of hits followed. In 1948, "Buttons and Bows", a catchy tune with Western flair, won them their first Academy Award for Best Original Song. Two years later, they scored again with "Mona Lisa", made iconic by Nat King Cole, which earned them a second Oscar. Their third came in 1956 for "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)", featured in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much and forever immortalized by Doris Day.
In 1957, they penned "Tammy" for Tammy and the Bachelor, another enduring hit. Their talents extended beyond film-Evans and Livingston also wrote theme songs for beloved television series such as Bonanza and Mister Ed (with Livingston himself performing the latter). In 1951, they added a holiday classic to their catalog with "Silver Bells", introduced in The Lemon Drop Kid. They also contributed to the stage, writing for Broadway productions including Oh, Captain! (1958), Let It Ride (1961), and Sugar Babies (1979).
Over the course of their careers, Evans and Livingston created more than 700 songs for film, television, and theater-most of them as a team. Their music, marked by elegance, warmth, and wit, became part of the American cultural fabric.
Jay Livingston passed away in 2001 at the age of 86, followed by Ray Evans in 2007 at 92. Together, they left behind a rich musical legacy, cementing their place as icons in the history of American songwriting.