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Les BaxterAmerican composer and pianist
Date of Birth: 14.03.1922
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Les Baxter
Les Baxter was born on March 14, 1922, and passed away on January 15, 1996. He was a renowned American composer and pianist. Baxter was born in Mexia, Texas and spent his childhood and youth in Detroit. He was a gifted young man who excelled at the Detroit Conservatory before continuing his education at Pepperdine College of Fine Arts. However, Baxter decided not to pursue a career as a professional pianist as he found classical music somewhat monotonous. He sought something more contemporary and eventually joined the group "Mel-Tones," with whom he recorded several popular compositions.
Music Composition and Film Scores
In the 1950s, Les Baxter focused more on his career as a composer. He had a talent for creating music for famous pop singers, and one of his hits was the song "Mona Lisa" by Nat "King" Cole. During this time, he also began writing music for films. Baxter proved to be a skilled composer capable of creating songs not only for individual performers but also for large orchestras with a variety of instruments. In addition to film scores, Baxter formed his own orchestra and wrote several chart-topping songs such as "Ruby," "Unchained Melody," and "The Poor People Of Paris," which brought him great success. He became one of the respected and sought-after composers in America.
Later Career
In the 1960s, Les Baxter dedicated a significant portion of his time to his folk group, "Balladeers." At the same time, he actively continued composing music for films. He wrote scores for movies like "Hot Blood," "Black Sunday," "Voodoo Island," "Hell Bound," "The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "Black Sabbath," "Goliath and the Dragon," "The Naked Earth," "Journey to the West," "The Pit and the Pendulum," and "Invasion of the Bee Girls."
Throughout his extensive career, Les Baxter composed music for over 110 films and worked with renowned directors such as William Asher, Mario Bava, Howard W. Koch, Francis Ford Coppola, Maury Dexter, Kenneth Johnson, William Witney, Eddie Romero, and many others. Some of his recent works include the scores for films such as "Torture Chamber," "Frogs," "Bloody Mama," "Wild Women," "Jackie Brown," "Bottle Shock," "The Beast Within."
Les Baxter's contributions to music and film have left a lasting legacy, establishing him as a talented composer and pianist celebrated for his diverse and innovative compositions.
