1. Van Alexander was an American bandleader, arranger, and composer.
15 Facts About Van Alexander
1. 2.
Van Alexander was born Alexander Van Vliet Feldman in Harlem.
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Van Alexander's mother was a classical pianist, and she taught him to play the piano.
4.
Van Alexander landed a job selling arrangements to Chick Webb in the middle of the 1930s.
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In 1938, Van Alexander formed his own band and played in theaters into the 1940s.
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Van Alexander had given up his band and joined us, and he brought along Butch Stone and Irv Cottler, whose drumming made all the difference in the world.
7.
Van Alexander wrote a textbook on film arrangement in 1950 called First Arrangement, and Johnny Mandel studied under him.
8.
Van Alexander's scores included several Mickey Rooney films, such as The Atomic Kid, The Twinkle in God's Eye, Baby Face Nelson, The Last Mile, The Big Operator and The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, as well as the scores to 13 Frightened Girls, Strait-Jacket, I Saw What You Did and Tarzan and the Valley of Gold.
9.
Van Alexander provided music for the television shows Hazel, The Farmer's Daughter, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Dennis the Menace and The Wacky World of Jonathan Winters.
10.
Van Alexander arranged and conducted for variety shows starring Dean Martin, Gordon MacRae, Mickey Rooney, and James Stewart.
11.
Van Alexander was involved in recording sessions with Doris Day, Benny Goodman, Peggy Lee, Dinah Shore, Kay Starr, Dakota Staton, and Paul Whiteman.
12.
Van Alexander died of heart failure on July 19,2015, in Los Angeles.
13.
Van Alexander is buried in the Sanctuary of Meditation mausoleum, row 1, space 15a, in Hillside Memorial Park, Los Angeles, California.
14.
Van Alexander was nominated twice for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical or Dramatic Program.
15.
Van Alexander received the Henry Mancini Award for lifetime achievement from ASCAP.