Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the steel town of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His parents emigrated from the Abruzzo region of Italy. Mancini's father, Quinto, was a steelworker, who made his only child begin flute lessons at the age of eight. When Mancini was 12 years old, he began piano lessons. Quinto and Henry played flute together in the Aliquippa Italian immigrant band, "Sons of Italy". After high school, Mancini attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in New York. In 1943, after roughly one year at Juilliard, his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the army. In 1945, he participated in the liberation of a South German concentration camp.
Mancini recorded over 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band to classical to pop. Eight of these albums were certified gold by The Recording Industry Association of America. He had a 20 year contract with RCA Records, resulting in 60 commercial record albums that made him a household name composer of easy listening music.
Mancini's range also extended to orchestral and ethnic scores (Lifeforce, The Great Mouse Detective, Sunflower, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", Molly Maguires, The Hawaiians), and darker themes ("Experiment In Terror," "The White Dawn," "Wait Until Dark," "The Night Visitor").
Mancini was also a concert performer, conducting over fifty engagements per year, resulting in over 600 symphony performances during his lifetime. Among the symphony orchestras he conducted are the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. He appeared in 1966, 1980 and 1984 in command performances for the British Royal Family. He also toured several times with Johnny Mathis and with Andy Williams, who had sung many of Mancini's songs.[citation needed]
Mancini had experience with acting and voice roles. In 1994 he made a one-off cameo appearance in the first season of the sitcom series Frasier, as a call-in patient to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show. Mancini voiced the character Al, who speaks with a melancholy drawl and hates the sound of his own voice, in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast?" Mancini also had an uncredited performance as a pianist in the 1967 movie Gunn, the movie version of the series Peter Gunn, the score of which was originally composed by Mancini himself.
Mancini was nominated for an unprecedented 72 Grammys, winning 20 Additionally he was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning four. He also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmys.
Mancini won a total of four Oscars for his music in the course of his career.
Mancini died at the age of 70 in Beverly Hills/Los Angeles, California of pancreatic cancer. He was working at the time on the Broadway stage version of Victor/Victoria. At the time of his death, Mancini was married to singer Virginia "Ginny" O´Connor, with whom he had three children. Ginny Mancini went on to found the Society of Singers a non profit organization which benefits the health and welfare of professional singers worldwide. Additionally the Society awards scholarships to students pursuing an education in the vocal arts and holds the annual Ella Awards.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers(ASCAP) Foundation "Henry Mancini Music Scholarship" has been awarded annually since 2001.
Moon River #1
Henry Mancini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossin' you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after that same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the Bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me
"Moon River" is a romantic and dreamy song that is an ode to the longing for adventure and the excitement that wanderlust brings. The first line, "Moon river, wider than a mile," personifies the river as a wide, vast expanse that inspires a sense of wonder and awe. The singer then declares that they will cross the river in style someday, suggesting that they have a dream and are determined to achieve it.
The song goes on to describe two drifters who are off to see the world. They are in pursuit of the same rainbow's end, hinting at the idea that they are searching for a better life, something more fulfilling. The line "my huckleberry friend, moon river, and me" is especially poignant, as it communicates the deep bond of friendship and camaraderie between the two travelers.
Overall, the lyrics of "Moon River" evoke a sense of wanderlust, adventure, and romance. The song is a celebration of human curiosity and the desire to explore, and its iconic melody has captured the hearts of generations of listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
Moon river, wider than a mile
The Moon River is a vast and expansive body of water that spans across a great distance.
I'm crossing you in style some day
Someday I will cross this river in a way that is both elegant and memorable.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
You are the one who creates wonderful dreams, but also the one who shatters them with heartbreak.
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way
No matter where you are headed, I will follow along with you.
Two drifters, off to see the world
We are two people without a specific destination, but rather on a journey to experience all that the world has to offer.
There's such a lot of world to see
The vastness of the world is overwhelming and we are determined to see as much of it as possible.
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
Our ultimate goal is to find the end of the rainbow, which is always just out of reach and waiting just around the corner.
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me
My friend and I are on this journey together, accompanied by the beautiful Moon River that we are crossing together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind