Timothy Gray (September 5, 1926 – March 17, 2007) was an American songwriter, author, singer and director, remembered for his partnership with

Hugh Martin Hugh Martin (August 11, 1914 – March 11, 2011) was an American musical theater and film composer, arranger, vocal coach, and playwright. He was best known for his score for the 1944 MGM musical ''Meet Me in St. Louis'', in which Judy Garland ...

which produced '' High Spirits'', a musical based on

Noël Coward Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...

's play, ''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * ''Blithe Spirit'' (2020 film), a British-American comedy film based on th ...

''.

Biography

Gray, whose birth name was John Baker Gray, was born in Chicago and became a performer in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

at the age of 16. He later performed on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

musicals Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...

, including '' As the Girls Go'', and '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'', and then television, before becoming a writer and composer. Timothy Gray also wrote the score of the London show ''

Love From Judy ''Love from Judy'' is a musical with music by Hugh Martin, lyrics by Martin and Jack Gray, and a book by Eric Maschwitz and Jean Webster. It is based on Webster's novel and play '' Daddy-Long-Legs''. The original production opened in Coventry ...

'' and collaborated on '' High Spirits'' with

. Songs that he composed included "Forever and a Day", "Go and Get Your Old Banjo", "Was She Prettier Than I?", "Home Sweet Heaven", "

You'd Better Love Me "You'd Better Love Me" is song written by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray for the 1964 musical High Spirits. "You'd Better Love Me" and the B-side "Home Sweet Heaven" were originally performed by Tammy Grimes. Other recordings * Petula Clark � ...

" and "If I Gave You". For his work on ''High Spirits'', he was nominated for

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

for Best Author (Musical), Best Composer and Lyricist, and Best Musical. His other Broadway credits were '' Good News'' (1971) as vocal arranger, and the 1974 revival of '' Johnny Johnson'', as producer. Gray died in

Sarasota, Florida Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...

, aged 80, in 2007.

References

Timothy Gray - IMDb profile

Playbill.com obituary, March 26, 2007
1926 births 2007 deaths Songwriters from Illinois Broadway composers and lyricists Singers from Chicago 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers American male songwriters {{songwriter-stub