Sonny Burke

Sonny Burke (born Joseph Francis Burke; March 22, 1914, Scranton, Pennsylvania – May 31, 1980) was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors.

During the 1930s and 1940s he was a big band leader in New York, including Sam Donahue's band, and during the 1940s and 1950s he worked as a band arranger for the Charlie Spivak and Jimmy Dorsey bands, among others. In 1955 he wrote, along with Peggy Lee, the songs to Disney's Lady and the Tramp. He also wrote songs with John Elliot for Disney's Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom which won the 1953 Oscar for Best Short Animated Feature.

He is credited as co-composer of "Midnight Sun", the Lionel Hampton tune with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. He was an active arranger and bandleader in major recording studios, including Decca Records.

Burke was musical director of Reprise Records and was responsible for many of Frank Sinatra's albums. He was also bandleader for recordings of leading singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé.

He is one of the original founders of NARAS and is credited with the formation of the Grammy Awards and was on the original selection committee.^{[citation needed]}

He died on May 31, 1980, aged 66.

Selected filmography

• Holidays with Pay (1948)

Discography

As leader

• Sonny Burke plays Mambos (1951)
• Sonny Burke and his Orchestra I & II (1951)
• The Sonny Burke-Don Elliott Six (ca. 1960)

As sideman

With Brass Fever

• Time is Running Out (Impulse! Records, 1976)

With Blue Mitchell

• African Violet (Impulse!, 1977)

External links

• Sonny Burke Collection of Music Manuscripts at Duke University
• Jazz Archive at Duke University