Hamilton Henry Gilkyson III was an American folk singer, songwriter, composer, and lyricist, who wrote songs for Disney, most notably "The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book which was nominated an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Gilkyson was born in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania and graduated from St. George's School, Newport in 1935. By his early twenties, he had become a worker on a ranch in Tucson, Arizona, then joined the military during World War II. Following the war, he pursed a career as a folk singer.
He wrote and recorded "The Cry of the Wild Goose", which became a hit song for Frankie Laine in 1950, as well as the 1953 hit song "Tell Me a Story" recorded by Jimmy Boyd and Laine. His other songs include "Memories are Made of This", "Girl in the Wood", "Man on the Land", "Mister Tap Toe", "Green Fields", "Look Me Over Closely", "Love Is a Golden Ring", and "Fast Freight". In 1956, he formed a group called The Easy Riders with Richard Dehr and Frank Miller where they had a major hit with "Marianne". The record sold in excess of one million copies, earning a gold disc.
Gilkyson also composed and appeared in films, like Slaughter Trail, Star in the Dust, Saddle Tramp, Calypso Joe, Red Sundown, and Raw Edge, as well as writing the theme song to the western show, Stagecoach West.
In the 1960s, he left the group to work for the Walt Disney Studios, writing music both for movies and the television series The Wonderful World of Disney especially "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh".
He died in Austin, Texas, while visiting family. His interment was at Morris Cemetery in his hometown of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Swiss Family Robinson | Songwriter: "My Heart Was An Island" |
| 1963 | Savage Sam | Songwriter: "Savage Sam and Me" |
| 1963-1969 | The Magical World of Disney | "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh": Songwriter ("Scarecrow") Composer: "My Dog, the Thief |
| 1964 | The Three Lives of Thomasina | Songwriter: "Thomasina" |
| 1964 | The Moon-Spinners | Songwriter: "The Moon-Spinners" |
| 1967 | The Jungle Book | Songwriter: "The Bare Necessities," Deleted songs "Brothers All" "The Song of the Seeonee" "Monkey See, Monkey Do" "I Knew I Belonged to Her" "In A Day's Work" "The Mighty Hunters" |
| 1970 | The Aristocats | Songwriter: "Thomas O'Malley Cat" |