Floyd Huddleston
{{Lead too short|date=February 2022}}
{{Short description|American lyricist (1918–1991)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Floyd Huddleston
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|08|19}}
| birth_place = Leland, Mississippi, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|09|27|1918|08|19}}
| death_place = Panorama City, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = {{Hlist|Lyricist|screenwriter|television producer}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Nancy Adams|1965|1991|reason=died}}
| children = 1
| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| genre = {{Hlist|Musical film|musical theatre}}
| instrument =
| years_active = 1949–1991
| associated_acts = Walt Disney Productions, Al Rinker, Don Costa
}}
}}
Floyd Huddleston (August 19, 1918 – September 27, 1991) was an American lyricist, screenwriter, and television producer.
Career
Huddleston was born in Leland, Mississippi, and would later sing and write songs for Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band during World War II. After he was discharged, Huddleston came to California where he was under contract with Decca Records in 1949. There, he co-wrote with Al Rinker an estimated 800 songs, some of which were recorded by Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Sarah Vaughan. Soon after, Huddleston would compose lyrics for theater productions such as Shuffle Along and The New Ziegfeld Follies.
Later in his life, he wrote lyrics for songs in several films, including The Ballad of Josie (1967) and Midnight Cowboy (1969). For Disney, he contributed the song, "Everybody Wants to be a Cat", to The Aristocats (1970). For Robin Hood (1973), he and George Bruns were nominated for an Academy Award for the song "Love," sung by his wife, Nancy Adams.{{cite news|last=Rogers|first=Tom|title=Floyd Huddleston Turns 'Love' Into Oscar Bid|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61702334/article-about-floyd-huddleston/|work=The Tennessean|page=8|date=February 24, 1974|access-date=October 23, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Huddleston would also produce unused songs for a proposed version of The Rescuers (1977) with songs performed by Louis Prima with Sam Butera and the Witnesses.{{cite web |last=Beck |first=Jerry |url=http://www.cartoonbrew.com/disney/lost-louis-prima-disney-song-47801.html |title=Lost Louis Prima Disney Song |website=Cartoon Brew |date=August 15, 2011 |access-date=December 4, 2012}} In 1978, he not only produced and composed songs, but wrote the script for the TV special Lucy Comes to Nashville, starring Lucille Ball.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-10-02-me-2852-story.html |title=Floyd Huddleston; Singer |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 2, 1991 |access-date=December 4, 2012}}
Personal life and death
On December 30, 1965, Huddleston married Nancy Adams, a commercial jingle singer, at the First Baptist Church chapel in Memphis, Tennessee.{{cite news|title=Nancy Adams, Formerly of Fulton, to Wed|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/61702963/marriage-of-adams-huddleston/|work=The Paducah Sun|page=B1|date=December 23, 1965|access-date=October 23, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}
Huddleston died from a heart attack on September 27, 1991, at a hospital located in Panorama City, Los Angeles. Huddleston was survived by his wife Nancy, his son, Huston Huddleston, and his mother, Hettye T. Huddleston.{{cite news|title=Songwriter Floyd Huddleston Dies|url=https://apnews.com/article/68d0cc6dda460672164493c2a211551b|work=Associated Press|date=October 2, 1991|access-date=October 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613103512/https://apnews.com/article/68d0cc6dda460672164493c2a211551b|archive-date=June 13, 2023|url-status=dead}} At the time of his death, Huddleston was working on a musical titled Brother Elwood's Gospel Truck.
Discography
=With His Family Singers=
- Happy Birthday Jesus (Dobre Records DR1013, 1977)
References
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0399666|name=Floyd Huddleston}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Huddleston, Floyd}}
Category:Songwriters from Mississippi