Thomas Montgomery "Tom" Adair was an American songwriter, lyricist, composer, and screenwriter, who wrote lyrics to songs from Sleeping Beauty and wrote episodes for Disney's anthology television series.
Adair was born on June 15, 1913, in Newton, Kansas. His father owned a clothing store in Newton; around 1923, he sold up and moved the family to Los Angeles. He attended Los Angeles Junior College (now Los Angeles City College), and then joined the local power company, working as a clerk on the complaints desk, while writing poems and song lyrics in his spare time.
In 1941, Adair met Matt Dennis in a club and the duo began writing songs together which led to writing hits for Broadway and lyric for the musical revue, Along Fifth Avenue. The duo wrote songs, like "Let’s Get Away from It All" and "Violets for Your Furs". Adair other song collaborations include "Everything Happens to Me", "In The Blue of Evening", "Will You Still Be Mine?", "The Night We Called It A Day", "The Skyscraper Blues", "A Home-Sweet-Home In The Army", "How Will I Know My Love?", "Sing a Smiling Song", "There's No You", "Mind If I Love You", "Hitch Hike to Hell", "Good Night Valais", "Weep No More", and "Julie", for which he was nominated an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Returning to Los Angeles, he worked with James B. Allardice songs for sitcoms. Later, he wrote episodes for television, like The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, Hazel, My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, I Dream of Jeannie, Gomer Pyle: USMC, Maude, My Favorite Martian, The Munsters, O.K. Crackerby!, F Troop, and Ensign O'Toole.
He retired to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1984. On May 24, 1988, Tom died at the age of 74.
Disney filmography
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1954-1977 | The Magical World of Disney | "A Story of Dogs" story "Holiday for Henpecked Husbands" writer "The Golden Horseshoe Revue Songwriter: "Hello Everybody" - uncredited "Disney on Parade special material "The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World" writer |
| 1958 | Paul Bunyan | lyricist: "Paul Bunyan" |
| 1958-1959 | Zorro | composer: additional music |
| 1959 | Sleeping Beauty | lyrics: "Hail to the Princess Aurora" "The Gifts of Beauty and Song" "Skumps" "Sleeping Beauty" - uncredited |
| 1978 | NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney | writer special lyrics |
