Sonny Burke

Sonny Burke
Born	Joseph Francis Burke March 22, 1914 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	May 31, 1980 Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	American composer, musical arranger, Big Band leader, and producer

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

Background

During the 1930s and 1940s, Burke was a big band arranger in New York City, worked with Sam Donahue's band, and during the 1940s and 1950s worked as an 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 Subject (Cartoons).

He wrote the music for number of popular songs that continue to be regarded as standards. These include, "Black Coffee", with lyric by Paul Francis Webster, and "Midnight Sun", co-written with jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. The song's famous lyrics were added later by Johnny Mercer. Burke was an active arranger, conductor and A&R man at major Hollywood record labels, especially Decca Records where he worked with Charles "Bud" Dant. He also wrote and arranged the theme for the early 1960s television show Hennesey, a jazzy update of The Sailor's Hornpipe.

Later Burke became musical director of Warner Bros. Records / Reprise Records and was responsible for many of Frank Sinatra's albums, and was producer of Sinatra's iconic recording of "My Way" and Petula Clark’s classic “This Is My Song” written by Charles Chaplin for his movie A Countess From Hong Kong. He was also bandleader for recordings of leading singers such as Dinah Shore, Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, The Mills Brothers,  Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Tormé.

Death and interment

Burke died at the age of 66 from cancer on May 31, 1980, in Santa Monica, California. He was survived by his wife Dorothy Gillis Burke and his four children, Gaylord, Peter and twins Jerry and Tom Burke. He had one sister, Rhoda Burke Andrews, mother of "Punch" Andrews, Bob Seger's longtime manager. His interment was at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.

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

• Brass Fever (Impulse!, 1975)
• Time Is Running Out (Impulse!, 1976)

With Dizzy Gillespie

• Free Ride (Pablo, 1977) – composed and arranged by Lalo Schifrin

With John Handy

• Carnival (ABC/Impulse, 1977)

With Blue Mitchell

• African Violet (Impulse!, 1977)

As arranger

With Ben Sidran

• Don't Let Go (Blue Thumb, 1974)

External links

• Guide to the Sonny Burke Papers Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University
• Jazz Archive at Duke University