Mort Lindsey obit

Composer Mort Lindsey dies at the age of 89

 

He was not on the list.

Mort Lindsey, the orchestra leader and composer celebrated in the US for his work with Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, has died at the age of 89.

The noted arranger died at his home in Malibu, California on Friday following a long period of ill-health.

Lindsey was musical director for Garland's performances at New York's Carnegie Hall that led to the Grammy-winning album Judy At Carnegie Hall.

An Emmy followed for Streisand's TV concert A Happening In Central Park.

Judy At Carnegie Hall, a live recording of the Wizard of Oz star's concert on 23 April 1961, spent 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard chart and went on to win four Grammy awards.

Lindsey went on to work with Liza Minnelli, Garland's daughter, on her televised Liza With A Z concert.

The New Jersey native spent 25 years as musical director for The Merv Griffin Show, earning two Emmy nominations in the process.

As a composer, his credits include Garland's 1963 film I Could Go on Singing and Albert Brooks' 1979 comedy Real Life.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Lindsey was part of a trio called the Playboys with jazz guitarist Johnny Smith and organist Arlo Hults at NBC.[5] In 1956, he was credited with composing the song "Rock 'N' Roll Polka" as recorded by John Serry Sr. (See Squeeze Play).

Lindsey was the musical director and conductor for Judy Garland's 1961 tour, including her concert on April 23, 1961, at Carnegie Hall.

Lindsey was also a composer of motion picture scores including Gay Purr-ee (1962), 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962), I Could Go On Singing (1963), Stolen Hours (1963), The Best Man (1964), Real Life (1979) and Cats Don't Dance (1997) for which he composed the song "Tell Me Lies".

Lindsey served as musical director and bandleader of The Merv Griffin Show from 1965 to 1986 and composed one of the show's themes. In addition, he and Griffin composed the song "Changing Keys", which served as the theme to Griffin's game show Wheel of Fortune in several versions from 1983 until 2000.

In 1969, Lindsey won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music as musical director for Barbra Streisand: A Happening in Central Park a concert attended by 135,000 people that aired as a music special on CBS in 1968.

In 1944, Lindsey married Betty Szold. They later divorced. In 1954, he married Betty (Bonney) Broyles who went by the stage name Judy Johnson while touring with the Les Brown Orchestra. He had three sons, David Lippman, Steve Lindsey, and Trevor Lindsey; and three daughters, Deborah Morris, Judy Grant, and Bonney Dunn.

Mort Lindsey died at his home in Malibu, California on May 4, 2012.

Mort Lippman was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 21, 1923. He attended Newark Arts High School. He served stateside as a lieutenant in the Army Air Forces during World War II, and received a bachelor's degree from Columbia College and a master's from Columbia University in the 1940s. He later returned to Columbia University, earning a doctoral degree in music education in 1974.

Music Department

Cats Don't Dance (1997)

Cats Don't Dance

6.9

additional orchestrator

1997

 

Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest in The Birdcage (1996)

The Birdcage

7.2

additional orchestrator

1996

 

Monopoly (1990)

Monopoly

6.0

TV Series

composer: theme music

1990

 

Merv Griffin in The Merv Griffin Show (1962)

The Merv Griffin Show

6.6

TV Series

musical directormusic coordinatorconductor

1976–1986

14 episodes

 

Merv Griffin and the Christmas Kids

TV Special

musical director

1973

 

Liza with a Z (1972)

Liza with a Z

8.4

TV Special

musical arranger (as Mort Lindsay)

1972

 

Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey: On Broadway (1969)

Carol Channing and Pearl Bailey: On Broadway

8.0

TV Movie

arrangerconductor

1969

 

Pinocchio

7.9

TV Movie

music arranged & conducted by

1968

 

A Happening in Central Park (1968)

A Happening in Central Park

8.2

TV Special

musical director

1968

 

Barbra Streisand in The Belle of 14th Street (1967)

The Belle of 14th Street

6.7

TV Special

conductor and arranger

1967

 

Fanfare

TV Series

musical director

1965

 

Julie Bennett, Daws Butler, and Don Messick in Hey There, It's Yogi Bear (1964)

Hey There, It's Yogi Bear

6.5

arrangerconductor (uncredited, uncredited)

1964

 

Judy Garland and Peggy Lee in The Judy Garland Show (1963)

The Judy Garland Show

8.9

TV Series

musical director

1963–1964

19 episodes

 

Judy and Her Guests, Phil Silvers and Robert Goulet

8.5

TV Movie

musical director

1963

 

Judy Garland and Dirk Bogarde in I Could Go on Singing (1963)

I Could Go on Singing

6.9

conductor (uncredited)

1963

 

Judy Garland in Gay Purr-ee (1962)

Gay Purr-ee

6.7

conductormusic arranger

1962

 

The Judy Garland Show (1962)

The Judy Garland Show

8.6

TV Special

musical director

1962

 

Pat Boone, Christine Carère, Gary Crosby, Sheree North, and Tommy Sands in Mardi Gras (1958)

Mardi Gras

5.3

orchestrator

1958

 

The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams

TV Series

musical director

1958

10 episodes

 

The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom (1957)

The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom

7.3

TV Series

musical arrangermusical directorconductor

1958

1 episode

 

Composer

Albert Brooks, Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, Robert Stirrat, and Lisa Urette in Real Life (1979)

Real Life

7.0

Composer

1979

 

A Happening in Central Park (1968)

A Happening in Central Park

8.2

TV Special

Composer

1968

 

Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson in The Best Man (1964)

The Best Man

7.6

Composer

1964

 

Stolen Hours (1963)

Stolen Hours

6.2

Composer

1963

 

Judy Garland and Dirk Bogarde in I Could Go on Singing (1963)

I Could Go on Singing

6.9

Composer

1963

 

Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette, and Claire Wilcox in 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962)

40 Pounds of Trouble

6.3

Composer

1962

 

The Seducers (1962)

The Seducers

4.8

Composer

1962

 

Judy Garland in Gay Purr-ee (1962)

Gay Purr-ee

6.7

Composer (uncredited)

1962

 

Actor

Albert Brooks, Charles Grodin, Frances Lee McCain, Robert Stirrat, and Lisa Urette in Real Life (1979)

Real Life

7.0

Mort Lindsey

1979

 

Soundtrack

Albert Brooks in Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (2023)

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life

7.4

performer: "Opening & End Titles Theme"

2023

 

Renée Zellweger in My One and Only (2009)

My One and Only

6.5

arranger: "My One and Only"

2009

 

Cats Don't Dance (1997)

Cats Don't Dance

6.9

arranger: "Tell Me Lies"

1997

 

Stolen Hours (1963)

Stolen Hours

6.2

music: "Stolen Hours"

1963

 

Tony Curtis, Suzanne Pleshette, and Claire Wilcox in 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962)

40 Pounds of Trouble

6.3

music: "If You", "What's the Scene"

1962

 

Self

Biography

Self

ReleasedTV Series

1987

1 episode

 

American Masters (1985)

American Masters

8.2

TV Series

Self - ConductorSelf - Orchestrator (voice)

2004

1 episode

 

E! True Hollywood Story (1996)

E! True Hollywood Story

6.5

TV Series

Self

2001

1 episode

 

Biography (1987)

Biography

7.7

TV Series

Self

1997

1 episode

 

Merv Griffin in The Merv Griffin Show (1962)

The Merv Griffin Show

6.6

TV Series

Self - Orchestra LeaderSelf - BandleaderSelf - Musician ...

1965–1986

2422 episodes

 

Great Performances (1971)

Great Performances

7.9

TV Series

Self

1985

1 episode

 

Omnibus (1967)

Omnibus

7.1

TV Series

Self

1972

1 episode

 

America After Dark (1957)

America After Dark

2.6

TV Series

Self - Bandleader

1957

1 episode

 

The George Skinner Show

TV Series

Self - pianist

1954–1955

33 episodes

 

Weatherproof

Short

Self - Championship Bowler

1927