Neal Hefti

American jazz trumpeter.

Born October 29, 1922, Hastings, Nebraska.

Died October 11, 2008, Los Angeles, California.

He married Woody Herman's vocalist [a=Frances Wayne] in 1945.

Most famous for his work as composer and arranger especially for Woody Herman and Count Basie.

He began arranging professionally in his teens for Nat Towles. Played trumpet in the early '40s with [a=Bob Astor], [a=Les Lieber], [a=Charlie Barnet], [a=Bobby Byrne], [a=Charlie Spivak], and [a=Horace Heidt]. He joined up with [a=Woody Herman] in 1944 and gained a strong reputation for composing (e.g. "The Good Earth" and "Wild Root") and arranging (e.g. "Woodchopper's Ball" and "Blowin' Up a Storm") while still playing trumpet.

From 1950 he wrote dozens of songs for [a=Count Basie] including "Li'l Darlin'", "Cute", "Whirly Bird", "Little Pony" and "Kid from Red Bank". He also led his own band intermittently for a few years in the '50s but from the '60s concentrated on writing TV and film scores, e.g. themes from Batman, Barefoot in the Park, and The Odd Couple.

He charted eight times in the U.S. and two times in the U.K. between 1965-1995 as a songwriter, and two of those as the artist. His top charted song came in 1966, "Batman Theme" by The Marketts, which hit #17. The song also charted that same year by Hefti himself at #35 overall and #12 adult contemporary. In 1973 he had a crossover hit with "I Knew Jesus (Before He Was a Star)" by Glen Campbell (co-written by Stanley Styne). The song was #45 overall as well as #26 adult contemporary, and #48 country.