Wikipedia

Winston Sharples: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →‎Film Music Composer: + missing period.
m format infobox spouse parameter
 
(86 intermediate revisions by 41 users not shown)
Line 1:
{{Short description|American composer (1909–1978)}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Winston Sharples
| image = SharplesfnBurneyboysorchestrasepia.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Winston = Sharples ''(far left)'' with the Burney Boys Orchestra, ca{{circa| 19291920s}}
| birth_date = March 1, 1909
| birth_place = [[Fall River, Massachusetts]]
| death_date = April{{death 3,date 1978and (agedgiven age|1978|4|3|69)}}
| death_place = [[Hilton Head, South Carolina]]
| other_names =
| known_for = cartoonCartoon and film music
| occupation = [[musician]]Musician
| NAME awards = Sharples, Winston▼
|nationality = US
| children = 3
|awards =
| spouse = Daisy Josephine Shockley (m 1931) = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Daisy Josephine Shackley|1931|1937|end=died}}
* {{marriage|Carmela Parrino|1938}}
}}▼
}}
 
'''Winston Singleton Sharples''' (March 1, 1909 -– April 3, 1978)<ref>http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Sharples Winston Sharples article at the French Wikipedia</ref> was aan American [[composer]] known for his work with animated short subjects, especially those created by the animation department at [[Paramount Pictures]].<ref>[http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/famous-cartoon-music/ Famous (Cartoon) Music-Cartoon Research]</ref> In his thirty-five35-year career, Sharples scored more than 700 cartoons for Paramount and [[Famous Studios]], and composed music for two [[Frank Buck (animal collector)|Frank Buck]] films, ''[[Wild Cargo (1934 film)|Wild Cargo]]'' (1934) and ''[[Fang and Claw (1935 film)|Fang and Claw]]'' (1935).
 
==Early years==
Sharples was born in Fall River, Massachusetts<ref>http{{cite web|url=https://www.archive.org/details/ascapbiographica007734mbp|title=The Ascap Biographical Dictionary Of Composers Authors And Publishers Second Edition|last=Daniel I. McNamara|date=February 3, 2018|publisher=Thomas Y. Crowell Company|access-date=February 3, 2018|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> to William, a machinist, and Mary Sharples,. andHe wasbegan playing pianosinging in vaudeville shows at the Loew's Poli Theatre in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the age of 8eight.<ref>Winston Sharples: Cat and Mouse Melodies and Haunting Refrains, edited by Jerry Beck (1997).</ref> SharplesHe wastaught wellhimself educatedto play the piano, withforming a [[Bachelorband ofthat Arts|B.A.]]played fromat [[HarvardIvy University]],League ancollege [[Masterdances ofthroughout FineNew Arts|MEngland.F.A.]] inHe dramagraduated from theClassical [[CarnegieHigh InstituteSchool ofin Technology]]Springfield and continued studies at the [[Yale University]] Graduate School ofin Drama1925.
 
==Performer==
After high school, he formed the Burney Boys Orchestra, playing piano and orchestrating music for the group. The band played around the country. Sharples appeared on radio for two years, starting infrom 1930<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jjonz.us/RadioLogs/|title=JJ's Radio Logs|website=www.jjonz.us|access-date=February 3, 2018}}</ref> throughto 1932, playing the piano on a 15-minute morning program at various stations in [[Connecticut]]. He relocated to New York City in 1932, where he played piano and occasionally bass with [[Vincent Lopez]]'s orchestra.
 
==Film Musicmusic Composercomposer==
Sharples replaced the lateassisted [[Gene Rodemich]] in scoring cartoons for the [[Van Beuren Studios]] in 1932 after [[Walter Winchell]] praised his work with Lopez in a column, which was read by studio owner [[Van Beuren Studios|Amadee Van Beuren]]. Sharples stayed at Van Beuren until 1936, during which time he composed music for two [[Frank Buck (animal collector)|Frank Buck]] films, ''[[Wild Cargo (1934 film)|Wild Cargo]]'' (1934) and ''[[Fang and Claw (1935 film)|Fang and Claw]] (1935). In 1938, Sharples composed the music for the [[Max Fleischer]] full-length animated production of ''[[Gulliver's Travels (1939 film1935)|Gulliver's Travels]]''. Several of the songs from that production were used throughout subsequent years in Paramount shorts, with the most notable being "It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day." He joined [[ASCAP]] in 1948. In 1958, Sharples teamed with [[Joe Oriolo]] for musical production on the [[Felix the Cat (TV series)|Felix the Cat television series]]. That series made extensive use of stock music composed for the Paramount shorts as well as Sharples' [http://felixthecat.com/multimedia/mp3s/Felix%20the%20Cat%20theme(old).mp3 distinctive theme song].
 
With Van Beuren winding down production, Sharples joined the [[Max Fleischer]] studio in New York as musical director. In 1938, Sharples composed "[[It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day|It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day]]" for Fleischer's full-length animated musical production of ''[[Gulliver's Travels (1939 film)|Gulliver's Travels]]''. Paramount Pictures released the film to cinemas in the United States on December 22, 1939''.'' Several of the songs from that production were used throughout subsequent years in Paramount shorts, with the most notable being "It's A Hap-Hap-Happy Day". The song was a hit in the UK in 1940 during the Battle of Britain, having been played heavily on the BBC radio. Sharples worked at Fleischer Studios in Miami, Florida, where he became the leader of a band that played in nightclubs in Miami Beach. In 1942, Paramount moved Fleischer Studios to New York City and renamed it Famous Studios.
In the late 1950s, Sharples and animation producer [[Hal Seeger]] formed a partnership called Scroll Productions that repackaged Sharples' scores from the Paramount cartoons into a stock music library, much like the [[Capitol Records]] [[Hi-Q (production music)|Hi-Q]] library. Most of the cues were from late 50's productions, but some dated as far back as the 1952 [[Popeye]] cartoon ''[[Big Bad Sindbad]]''. Besides the aforementioned ''Felix the Cat'', productions using this stock music included the [[King Features Syndicate]] TV cartoons (''Popeye'', ''[[Barney Google]]'', and ''[[Beetle Bailey]]''), ''[[King Leonardo]]'', and ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo]]''. Later Sharples cues were recycled into episodes of Seeger's ''[[Batfink]]''. Sharples also composed the theme song for Seeger's ''[[Milton the Monster]]'' television series in 1965, in addition to using the stock music package for part of the underscore.▼
 
In 1946, Sharples replaced Sammy Timberg as the Eastern musical director for Paramount Studios, writing music for their cartoons, newsreels, and short subjects. The studio's productions included three series started by the Fleischers—[[Popeye the Sailor (animated cartoons)|''Popeye the Sailor'']], [[Superman (1940s cartoons)|''Superman'']], and ''[[Screen Songs]]''—as well as ''[[Little Audrey]]'', ''[[Little Lulu]]'', ''[[Casper the Friendly Ghost]]'', ''Honey Halfwitch'', ''[[Herman and Katnip]]'', ''[[Baby Huey]]'', and the anthology ''[[Noveltoons]]'' series.
 
He joined [[ASCAP]] in 1948. In 1958, Sharples teamed with [[Joe Oriolo]] for musical production on the [[Felix the Cat (TV series)|Felix the Cat television series]]. That series made extensive use of stock music composed for the Paramount shorts as well as Sharples' distinctive theme song.
 
==Later works==
▲In the late 1950s, Sharples and animation producer [[Hal Seeger]] formed a partnership called Scroll Productions that repackaged Sharples' scores from the Paramount cartoons into a stock music library, much like the [[Capitol Records]] [[Hi-Q (production music)|Hi-Q]] library. Most of the cues were from late 50's50s productions, but some dated as far back as the 1952 [[Popeye]] cartoon ''[[Big Bad Sindbad]]''. Besides the aforementioned ''Felix the Cat'', productions using this stock music included the [[King Features Syndicate]] TV cartoons (''Popeye'', ''[[Barney Google]]'', and ''[[Beetle Bailey]]''), ''[[King Leonardo]]'', and ''[[Tennessee Tuxedo]]''. Later, Sharples cues were recycled into episodes of Seeger's ''[[Batfink]]''. Sharples also composed the theme song for Seeger's ''[[Milton the Monster]]'' television series in 1965, in addition to using the stock music package for part of the underscore.
 
Sharples continued at the Paramount cartoon studio, successfully adapting his style to smaller groups and even incorporating jazz and rock and roll styles for the edgier works of [[Ralph Bakshi]], until it closed in 1967.
 
Among other better-known compositions were ''"Puppets''; ''When You Left Me''" and ''"What Has She Got That I Haven't Got".''
 
==Filmography==
[[fr:{{main|Winston Sharples]] filmography}}▼
 
==Personal life==
In 1931, Sharples married Daisy ShockleyShackley, a singing hostess at the Hotel Kimball studio of WBZ Radio in 1931Springfield. andIn 1932, they had a son, Winston Sharples, Jr., who worked with his father as a music editor and eventually became a musical director himself on ''[[The Mighty Hercules]]''. They also had a daughter, Daisy Sharples. After the death of his first wife in 1937, he married Carmela Parrino, an accomplished musician herself, and had a second son, Michael Sharples.
 
==Death==
Winston Sharples died at age 69 in [[Hilton Head, South Carolina]] USA.<ref>http[https://www.imdbnytimes.com/name1978/nm078930104/bio04/archives/obituary-8-no-title.html WinstonDeaths Sharples- atThe Imdb.comNew York Times]</ref>
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
 
==External links==
{{Authority control|VIAF=2664216}}▼
{{Archival records|title=Winston Sharples music manuscripts, 1943-1968|location= [[Library of Congress]]|description_URL=https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.music/eadmus.mu012006}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
* {{IMDb name|id=0789301}}
▲| NAME = Sharples, Winston
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMY1pgTDRFs Paramount Noveltoon Cartoon opening theme composed by Winston Sharples] on YouTube.
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
 
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
▲{{Authority control|VIAF=2664216}}
| DATE OF BIRTH = March 1, 1909
 
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Fall River, Massachusetts]]
| DATE OF DEATH = April 3, 1978
| PLACE OF DEATH = [[Hilton Head, South Carolina]]
▲}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharples, Winston}}
[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1978 deaths]]
[[Category:American composers]]▼
[[Category:American film score composers]]
[[Category:CarnegieAmerican Mellonmale Universityfilm alumniscore composers]]
[[Category:Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:Yale University alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century classical musicians]]
 
[[Category:20th-century American composers]]
▲[[fr:Winston Sharples]]
▲[[Category:AmericanAnimation composers]]
[[pl:Winston Sharples]]
[[Category:Famous Studios people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Sharples"