Gene de Paul

Gene Vincent de Paul (June 17, 1919 – February 27, 1988) was an American pianist, composer, songwriter, and Broadway book writer, born in New York City. He served in the United States Army during World War II and joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in 1941. He was married to Billye Louise Files (November 23, 1924 – January 30, 1977) of Jack County, Texas.

De Paul's songwriting career began in earnest in the early 1940s, when he co-wrote a series of notable songs with collaborator Don Raye, including "I'll Remember April" (1941, with Don Raye and Patricia Johnston), "You Don't Know What Love Is" (1941), "Star Eyes" (1943, from the film I Dood It), and "Mr. Five by Five" (1944). Also among his early credits was "Gimme Some Skin, My Friend," performed by The Andrews Sisters in the Abbott and Costello film In the Navy, and "Cow Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" (1942), with music by Don Raye and lyrics by Benny Carter and de Paul, which appeared in Ride 'Em Cowboy and later in films including The Aviator, Raging Bull, and The Joker Is Wild. "He's My Guy," co-written with Raye and introduced in the 1943 film of the same name, was subsequently recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and Dinah Shore. In 1953, de Paul composed "Teach Me Tonight," with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.

Working across multiple Hollywood studios, de Paul collaborated with lyricists including Johnny Mercer, Don Raye, Carolyn Leigh, and Charles Rinker at Universal Studios, Walt Disney Studios, and other companies. His work with Walt Disney Studios included music for Alice in Wonderland, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and The Headless Horseman. In 1942, he and Don Raye received an Academy Award nomination for Best Music, Original Song for "Pig Foot Pete," though the song had appeared in the 1941 film Keep 'Em Flying rather than in Hellzapoppin, rendering it ineligible; the award that year went to "White Christmas."

De Paul's partnership with lyricist Johnny Mercer produced two significant musical credits. The 1954 film Seven Brides for Seven Brothers featured songs and dances composed by de Paul with lyrics by Mercer. That collaboration extended to the stage with Li'l Abner, which opened on Broadway in 1956, also with Mercer as lyricist. His Broadway work additionally included Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score in 1983.

De Paul was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. He died in February 1988 at the age of 68 and was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills.