- Born
- Died
- Composer ("Forbidden Island", "Exotica"), songwriter, author and pianist, a student of Wesley La Violette and Arthur Lange. He toured South America with a band from 1931 to 1935, and served in the US Army Air Force during World War II. He was an accompanist for Hildegarde and Betty Hutton, and in 1955 formed a musical group in Hawaii, performing until 1961. He appeared on radio and television and in nightclubs and hotels, and made many creative instrumental records, including the hit release "Quiet Village". Joining ASCAP in 1958, his chief musical collaborators include Mack David and Hal Johnson. His other popular-song and instrumental compositions include "Burma Train", "Primativa", "Island of Dreams", "Cobra", "Hypnotique", When First I Loved", "Love at Sight", "Aloha I Love You", "Blue Paradise", and "Sake Rock".- IMDb Mini Biography By: Hup234!
- SpouseJune(1956 - March 2, 2005) (his death, 1 child)
- Bird calls, initially courtesy of percussionist August Colon
- One of the icons of lounge music, his many albums on Liberty Records, best-sellers in their day and collector's items now, include "Exotica," "Quiet Village," "The Enchanted Sea," "Primativa," "Martin Denny in Person," "Exotic Sounds of the Silver Screen," "Exotic Sounds Visit Broadway," with liner notes by Walter Winchell, "Latin Village," "The Versatile Martin Denny," "A Taste of Honey," "Exotica Today," and "Exotic Moog."
- Director John Sturges was a big fan of Denny's music. While filming some background scenes in Burma for the Frank Sinatra movie Never So Few (1959), Sturges and the crew climbed to the top of a mountain where they found a Buddhist temple. Although neither party spoke the other's language, Sturges managed to buy a slew of percussion instruments which he gave to Denny as a gift. Sturges also wrote the original liner notes to the "Quiet Village" album.
- Still enjoying an active life at 93, Denny continues to perform for his always appreciative audiences in his beloved Hawaii.
- He had national hits with "A Taste of Honey", "The Enchanted Sea", and "Ebb Tide".
- Denny's "Firecracker" is well known in Japan as the number which inspired Haruomi Hosono to establish Yellow Magic Orchestra; a cover of the song appears on the band's eponymous debut album and was released as a single to promote it, charting at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 18 on the Billboard R&B Singles charts.
- You know, I'm happy the music's back, because I'm frankly tired of hearing the same old thing. Rap music. High-voltage rock 'n' roll. What will kids today remember 20 years from now? There's hardly anything romantic or melodic. I think a whole lot of good music has been lost. [2003 interview]
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