Profile
Nelson Riddle
Arranger + Composer + Bandleader and Orchestrator
Male
Born
Jun 1, 1921
Hometown
Oradell, New Jersey
Died
Oct 6, 1985
Death Place
Los Angeles, Cali...
Other Names
Nelson Smock Ridd...
Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. was an American arranger, composer, bandleader and orchestrator whose career stretched from the late 1940s to the mid 1980s. It was his signature sound and iconic arrangements that defined a generation and his work for Capitol… Read More
Romance
Check out the latest love interests for Nelson Riddle.
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Naomi TenenholtzMarried 1970
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Doreen MoranMarried 1945 - 1970
News + Updates
Browse recent news and stories about Nelson Riddle.
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Fisher Theatre Opens Season With 'Come Fly Away' Pride Source.ComGoogle News - Aug 31, 2011
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Monday's Best Bet: Glenn Miller Orchestra Invites Syracuse's Elliott To Share ... Syracuse.Com (Blog)Google News - Aug 29, 2011
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Wine And Song Sure To Please At Bethel Woods Times Herald RecordGoogle News - Aug 26, 2011
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Studio 312 Big Band To Take The Stage In Westerleigh Si Live.ComGoogle News - Aug 24, 2011
Timeline
Learn about the memorable moments in the evolution of Nelson Riddle.
CHILDHOOD
1921
Birth
Born in 1921.
TWENTIES
1943
22 Years Old
In 1943, Riddle joined the Merchant Marine, serving at Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn, New York for roughly two years.
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1944
23 Years Old
After his enlistment term ended, Riddle traveled to Chicago to join the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1944; he remained the orchestra's third trombone for eleven months until drafted by the United States Army in April, 1945.
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1945
24 Years Old
While in the Army, Riddle married his first wife Doreen Moran in 1945.
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1950
29 Years Old
In 1950, Riddle was hired by composer Les Baxter to write arrangements for a recording session with Nat King Cole; this was one of Riddle's first associations with Capitol Records.
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THIRTIES
1952
31 Years Old
In 1952, Capitol Records executives viewed the up-and-coming Riddle as a prime choice to arrange for the newly-arrived Frank Sinatra.
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1953
32 Years Old
When success of the first few Capitol sides with Stordahl proved disappointing, Sinatra eventually relented and Riddle was called in to arrange his first session for Sinatra, held on April 30, 1953.
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1957
36 Years Old
While at Capitol, Riddle continued his successful film arranging career, most notably with MGM's Conrad Salinger on the first onscreen duet between Bing Crosby and Sinatra in High Society (1956), and the 1957 film version of Pal Joey directed by George Sidney for Columbia Pictures.
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FORTIES
1962
41 Years Old
In 1962, Riddle orchestrated two albums for Ella Fitzgerald, Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson, and Ella Swings Gently with Nelson, their first work together since 1959's Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook.
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1963
42 Years Old
In 1963, Riddle joined Sinatra's newly-established label Reprise Records, under the musical direction of Morris Stoloff.
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Although Riddle would write various arrangements for Sinatra until the late 1970s, Strangers In The Night, released in 1966, was the last full album project the pair completed together.
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1968
47 Years Old
In 1968, Riddle separated from his wife Doreen; their divorce became official in 1970.
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FIFTIES
1973
52 Years Old
In 1973, he served as musical director for the Emmy Award winning The Julie Andrews Hour.
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1977
56 Years Old
On March 14, 1977, Riddle conducted his last three arrangements for Sinatra.
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LATE ADULTHOOD
1982 saw Riddle work for the last time with Ella Fitzgerald, on her last orchestral Pablo album, The Best Is Yet to Come.
On January 19, 1985, he conducted at the nationally-televised 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala, the day before the second inauguration of Ronald Reagan.
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Original Authors of this text are noted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Riddle.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
Text is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.