Ray Gilbert was an American composer, lyricist, and educator, who was notable for co-writing the Academy Award winning song, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with Allie Wrubel for the film Song of the South and has been used in both Disney and outside productions since its release.
Gilbert grew up in Hartford, Connecticut and came to Hollywood in 1939. He wrote for Earl Carroll before signing to Walt Disney's company as part of the songwriting staff. He would help to compose songs for many of the studio's package films, like The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Melody Time, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. He also co-wrote "Free as the Breeze", a deleted song from Lady and the Tramp, with Eliot Daniel.
Joining ASCAP in 1946, his chief musical collaborators included Hoagy Carmichael, Ted Fio Rito, Allie Wrubel, Eddie Sauter, and Paul A. Nero. His notable compositions included "That's a-Plenty", "The Hot Canary", "Cuanto le Gusta", "Cherry", "If You Went Away", "Muskrat Ramble", "A Zoot Suit (for My Sunday Gal)", "Chihuahua", "Once I Loved", "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", "Boom-Da-Boom", "The Band Played On", and "Whistle Your Way Back Home". He also wrote the English lyrics of the Andy Williams' 1965 hit "...and Roses and Roses" and "Lost in Your Love" with Sidney Miller, to music by Bert Jay.
Some of his songs were written for or appeared in films, such as Moonlight and Cactus, My Darling Clementine, and Man from Music Mountain.
Gilbert died in 1976 following complications from open heart surgery.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Dumbo | Music Department - uncredited |
| 1944 | The Three Caballeros | lyrics: "The Three Caballeros" "Baía" "You Belong to My Heart (Now and Forever)" "Mexico" |
| 1946 | Make Mine Music | lyrics: "All the Cats Join In" "Without You" "Two Silhouettes" "Johnny Fedora and Blue Bonnet" "Blue Bayou" "Casey (The Pride of Them All)" - uncredited |
| 1946 | Song of the South | lyrics: "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" "Everybody's Got a Laughing Place" "Sooner or Later" |
| 1948 | Melody Time | lyrics: "Once Upon a Wintertime" "Blame It on the Samba" |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | lyrics: "The Merrily Song" - uncredited |