Award-Winning Songwriter Ray Evans Passes
Iconic TV Themes for Mr. Ed, Classic Songs "Mona Lisa,"
"Silver Bells" and More
Los Angeles, CA — Ray Evans, a prolific lyricist whose numerous successful songs with his longtime collaborator Jay Livingston included Oscar winners winning “Buttons and Bows,” “Mona Lisa” and “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera),” died February 15 at UCLA Medical Center. Evans, who succumbed to complications from an apparent heart attack, was 92.
One of the entertainment industry’s most prolific and successful songwriting teams, Evans (who wrote lyrics) and Livingston (who wrote melodies) joined forces in the 1930s and contributed songs to dozens of films, primarily for Paramount, where they worked under contract from 1945 to 1955.
Over 25 Songs Selling 1 Million Records Each
In all, Evans and Livingston wrote a remarkable 26 songs reported to have sold more than 1 million copies each
An abbreviated list of the duo’s canon includes some of the most popular and beloved American songs of the 20th century. All told, their oeuvre is said to have sold more than 500 million copies. In addition the three Oscar winners, four others were Oscar nominees: “The Cat and the Canary,” from Why Girls Leave Home; “Tammy,” from Tammy and the Bachelor; “Almost in Your Arms” from Houseboat; and “Dear Heart” from the film of the same name.
Another massive hit was the Christmas classic “Silver Bells,” which originated in the film The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope. Since then, the holiday standard has been recorded by nearly 150 artists and sold more than 160 million copies.
Later in their career, Evans and Livingston branched into television, and penned the immediately recognizable theme songs for the series Bonanza and Mr. Ed.
New York Native Meets Songwriting Partner at U-Penn
Evans was born in Salamanca, New York, on February 4, 1915. The son of a secondhand paper, string and burlap dealer, he met Livingston when they were both students at the University of Pennsylvania.
Clarinet player Evans joined Livingston’s band, which played college dances and parties. After graduating from Penn, they performed on cruise ships and ultimately moved to New York to begin their songwriting collaboration.
In 1944, they moved to Los Angeles to try their hand in the movies. Their first success came with Betty Hutton's recording of “Stuff Like That There.” During their long run at Paramount, the team made a cameo appearance as themselves in the 1950 classic Sunset Boulevard.
Livingston and Evans made television history in 1954 when they wrote the songs for the 1954 NBC production Satins and Spurs, the first 90-minute color television “spectacular,” starring Betty Hutton.
They also wrote the music and lyrics for two Broadway musicals, Oh Captain!, in 1958, and Let It Ride, in 1961. In 1979, two of their songs were included in the Broadway revue Sugar Babies.
Livingston died in 2001, at age 86. Evans, whose wife died in 2003, is survived by his sister, Doris Feinberg.
Ray Evans Talks with the Archive of American Television
In February 2000, Ray Evans and his late partner Jay Livingston Peter Ellenshaw granted the Archive of American Television (AAT) a lengthy in-depth interview in Los Angeles, California. The two spoke of their 60-year partnership, how they came to Hollywood to write songs for the movies and more.
Evans and Livingston recounted their years at Paramount, discussed their Oscar-winning songs and nominated works, like Christmas classic, “Silver Bells.” They went on to speak of iconic title songs they wrote for such television shows as Bonanza, Mr. Ed and The Doris Day Show, marveling at the lasting popularity of those tunes.
They also mention their collaboration with composer Henry Mancini, and speak of entertainers whom they wrote for over the years, such as Bob Hope, Dinah Shore, Rosemary Clooney and Debbie Reynolds.
The interview is available for viewing at the AAT office, located on the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences plaza in North Hollywood. Contact the Television Archive at (818) 754-2800 for more information.
To learn more about the life and works of Ray Evans online, please
visit the Archive of American Television Update blog.