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3 unusual facts about Ray Conniff


Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Chorus

Ray Conniff (choir director) for "Somewhere My Love (Lara's Theme From Dr. Zhivago)" performed by the Ray Conniff Singers

Gustav Brom

Maynard Ferguson, Dizzy Gillespie, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Ray Conniff, Ben Cramer, Bill Ramsey and others joined the Gustav Brom Big Band in many concerts and performances and the band's name became well known and respected among professional performers as well as the discerning public.

Kathy Westmoreland

She was one of Jimmy Joyce's singers, Ray Conniff's singers, Johnny Mann and many others, including vocals on recording sessions with hundreds of major artists.


Conrad Gozzo

Gozzo, lead trumpeter on the Glen Gray, Stan Kenton, and Harry James "remakes", and in Dan Terry's 1954 Columbia sessions, recorded extensively with arrangers Van Alexander, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Ray Conniff, Jerry Fielding and Shorty Rogers, and also with performers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Lara's Theme

A few weeks later, Francis reconsidered her position and recorded the song nonetheless, but by then Ray Conniff had also recorded a version of his own, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966.

Pete Jolly

He also worked with other notable jazz artists, including Buddy DeFranco, Art Pepper and Red Norvo, and for many years with EZ music arranger and director Ray Conniff.


see also

WGPA

The FM station's daytime programming was beautiful music featuring the likes of Mantovani, Ferrante and Teicher, Ray Conniff and Henry Mancini.