He was a choral director, conductor and arranger in Chicago, Illinois, who began learning to play the piano when he was young. He also sang and while in high school was a member of the chorus there. He took his further studies at the Central College and University of Chicago and following his time there he ventured out into the professional world of music by taking graduate studies with Leo Sowerby as well as singing and putting together programs at local radio stations.
During the 1940s he relocated to New York but it wasn’t long before he decided to move to Hollywood after a request for him to work on The Railroad Hour as choral director. This led to him becoming the musical arranger on several television programmes and numerous movies that include Abbott and Costello Meet Billy The Kid, April in Paris, Calamity Jane, The Desert Songand The Night Before Christmas.
He was also heard working in the recording studio ver the years with many of the top artists of the day such as Harry Belafonte, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Frankie Laine, Frank Sinatra and Jo Stafford.
In 1950 he founded the Walton Music Corporation, which allowed him the ability to publish his work. The 1950s also saw him establishing the Norman Luboff Choir, which became internationally acclaimed for their recordings and tours throughout the next few decades until 1987. Along with his choir he was the recipient of a Grammy Award in 1961 as well as having the best-selling holiday recordings in 1956 and 1964.
Aside from leading his choir, he regularly appeared as a guest conductor at venues and events across the length and breadth of the United States.
He passed away in Bynum, North Carolina in 1987 after having seen major success in the choral world and his legacy continued in 1993 when his collection was given by Gunilla Marcus-Luboff to the United States Library of Congress and in 1999 when the albums Songs of the Trail and Songs of the Cowboy were released on CD. He was also honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Musica Sacra Recordings
Baloo Lammy (Traditional Scottish)
D. G. 429 732-2 (CD: Christmas Carols & Motets)
Conductor – Richard Westenburg
Arranger – Norman Luboff
Version composer – William Billings
Sources:
- http://www.waltonmusic.com/bio.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Luboff
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0523951/bio
- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0523951/
- http://www.answers.com/topic/norman-luboff
- http://new.music.yahoo.com/norman-luboff/
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll
- http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=NORMAN|LUBOFF&sql=11:apfrxqw5ldte~T4