In Memory of Buddy Baker...gone but not forgotten

[JanetMegan]

Some of you may have heard that on Friday we lost a true legend in Disney music. The following is an excerpt from a Walt Disney Imagineering memo...

Walt Disney Imagineering Memorandum

To: All Imagineers Date: July 29, 2002

From: Tom Fitzgerald/Marty Sklar

Subject: Disney Legend Buddy Baker



We are very sorry to report that Disney Legend Buddy Baker passed away last Friday morning. In his 29-year career with Disney, Buddy composed more than 200 musical scores for our theme parks, films and television shows.

Even after retiring in 1983, Buddy continued to work with us, most recently composing music for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Magic Kingdom, and Journey to the Center of the Earth and Sindbad's Seven Voyages at Tokyo DisneySea.

Together, Buddy Baker and George Bruns were the sole composers for Disneyland for the park's first 10 years. Buddy scored Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and the Carousel of Progress for the 1964 World's Fair in New York, and helped convince Walt to use the Sherman Brothers' now-classic song for it's a small world, rather than featuring different children's songs from around the world. When it's a small world was moved to Disneyland, and was later produced for Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland, Buddy scored the attraction's new and revised scenes.

Working with Disney Legend X Atencio, Buddy co-wrote "Grim Grinning Ghosts" for the Haunted Mansion and "If You Had Wings" for the Magic Kingdom attraction of the same name. He also composed music for the Hall of Presidents, Mickey Mouse Revue, Swiss Family Tree House and the Circle-Vision films America the Beautiful and Magic Carpet 'Round the World.

Buddy's biggest Imagineering role was overseeing all of the music development for Epcot, and he personally worked on seven attractions: American Adventure, Kitchen Kabaret, Listen to the Land, Universe of Energy, World of Motion, Wonders of China, and his favorite, Impressions de France. For the France pavilion film, he combined original music and classical pieces by French composers such as Debussy, Ravel and Satie, and then conducted a 100-piece symphony orchestra in London.

Buddy joined Disney in 1954 when George, already on Disney Studio staff, asked him to assist with some television scoring. "I came to Disney to help out for two weeks," Buddy once said, "and I ended up staying 29 years." He subsequently wrote scores and songs for a wide variety of Disney television series, including the Mickey Mouse Club, Zorro and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color.

Buddy also worked on a number of live action and animation films, including the three original Winnie the Pooh animated featurettes, The Fox and the Hound animated feature, and the animated featurette Donald in Mathmagic Land.

Buddy was Hollywood's last on-staff studio composer when he retired from the Disney Studio, and then began teaching as director of the University of Southern California film scoring program. Prior to Disney, he wrote arrangements for many big bands, including Stan Kenton, Harry James, Phil Harris and Jack Teagarden, and also worked on numerous radio shows, including The Bob Hope Show and The Jack Benny Show. Over his career, Buddy was nominated for an Academy Award and two Grammy Awards, received the ASCAP Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and was honored by the Country Music Association for his Outstanding Contribution to Country Music.

At WDI's 50th anniversary concert this Saturday night in Glendale, we will honor and remember Buddy for the lives he touched in our parks and at Imagineering.

[roses]

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[TiggerRPh]

A sad day indeed....Buddy will be missed!

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[pjbs35a]

More info. from another source:

Disney Music Director Baker Dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Buddy Baker, musical director for nearly 200 Disney movies and TV shows including a "Daniel Boone" miniseries and "The Mickey Mouse Club," has died. He was 84.



Baker died Friday at his home in Sherman Oaks from unspecified natural causes, studio spokesman Howard E. Green said Monday.

The composer penned incidental music for "The Mickey Mouse Club" show and special songs sung by its child stars and was responsible for music in the 1981 cartoon feature "The Fox and the Hound."

He was nominated for an Academy Award for the score to the 1972 children's drama "Napoleon and Samantha."

He also scored incidental music for the Disney theme park attractions "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln," "It's a Small World," and "The Haunted Mansion."

"Anyone who has ever been to a Disney theme park has enjoyed his music and his scores," said Roy E. Disney, vice chairman of Walt Disney Co. "I had the privilege of working with Buddy on scores for several projects that I produced and he always came through with something original and appropriate."

Although Baker did not write the famous "Mickey Mouse Club March" or the jingly, repetitious "It's a Small World" song, he would adapt those melodies for use at other places in the show or ride.

Raised in Springfield, Ill., he began piano lessons at age 4 and was playing trumpet as well when he was 11 years old. He studied music at Southwest Baptist University and moved to Los Angeles in 1938 to work in Hollywood.

He wrote arrangements for radio programs starring Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Eddie Cantor.

In 1954, he was hired by Disney Studios, where he worked on arrangements for the TV show "Davy Crockett" and three "Winnie the Pooh" cartoons. He also composed original music for movies that included 1960's "Toby Tyler," 1975's "The Apple Dumpling Gang" and 1976's "The Shaggy D.A."

Baker is survived by his wife, a stepson, two grandchildren and a great grandchild.

[ajjamz ABC]

Another Mic. Falls silent graemlins/crying.gif

[Horizon93]

Thanks for the info. One of the great unsung heroes of Disney now working at the big theme park in the sky. I always notice the music at an attraction. Think of your favorite attractions, and I bet you think of the music which was written, arranged, and orchestrated by people like Mr. Baker. I try to never lose sight of all of the people who really make the experience at Disney as ggreat as it is, and it certainly wouldn't be what it is without music.

[SpecJoe Magic]

Another Disney Legend that will be missed. We must all remember that these people such as Buddy Baker, Marc Davis, etc. who have passed away had a huge part in helping Walt and Roy bring the Disney Magic to life. I hope Buddy will make the true Magic Kingdom in the sky a little brighter with his songs.