Hugh Martin

Hugh Martin arrived on Broadway as a vocal arranger and worked on The Boys from Syracuse, Too Many Girls, DuBarry Was a Lady and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as well as writing shows of his own. Born in Birmingham, Alabama, and educated at Birmingham-Southern College, he wrote songs for the film Meet Me in St. Louis of 1944, whose songs, made with Ralph Blane, include The Trolley Song, The Boy Next Door and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. His own Broadway credits include Best Foot Forward, Make a Wish and High Spirits, and he served Judy Garland as arranger and accompanist during her concert career. Later he toured as accompanist to gospel singer Del Delker. He died in 2011. Born in 1914, he came to New York in the 1930s; Look Ma, I'm Dancin' belongs to his Broadway list, and High Spirits was made with Timothy Gray. He accompanied Eddie Fisher as well as Garland, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame took him in in 1983.