Harry Simeone

American pianist, music arranger, conductor and composer.

Born May 9, 1911, Newark, New Jersey, USA.

Died February 22, 2005, New York City, USA.

Married to singer [a=Margaret McCrae] (1938-2001, her death).

Simeone's [i]Harry Simeone Chorale[/i] group popularized the song "The Little Drummer Boy" in 1958, after it was first recorded in 1951 by the Austrian Trapp Family. Simeone co-wrote the song with [a=Katherine K. Davis] & [a=Henry Onorati]. The song charted five times between 1958-62 by his group and thirty times since by other artists.

Simeone was arranger and conductor for [a=Fred Waring], beginning in 1939. He studied piano and composition at Juilliard and also played piano, conducted and arranged for CBS.