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George Bruns

Biography

In the 1930s he worked as a musician with various groups in the Portland, Oregon area. In 1946 he was appointed musical director at radio station KEX in Portland, Oregon, and also was the bandleader for the Rose Bowl room of the Multnomah Hotel. From 1947 to 1949 he performed and recorded on trombone with Portland's Castle Jazz Band, led by banjoist Monte Ballou.

In the late 1940s he moved to Los Angeles, where he did studio work, and performed and recorded with trombonist Turk Murphy's Jazz Band. In 1953 he was hired by Walt Disney as an arranger, eventually becoming Disney's musical director, a position he held until his retirement in 1976. Despite his retirement he continued to work on Disney projects.

Among his work is the song "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" (which he co-wrote with Xavier Atencio), used in the Disney theme park attraction Pirates of the Caribbean and the movies based on that ride. He also co-wrote "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" with Tom W. Blackburn, as well as the song "Love" for the Disney animated film Robin Hood. During the mid-1950s, he adapted the music from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty ballet for use as background score in the 1959 Disney film version. He also composed the score for The Jungle Book, and provided Herbie the Love Bug with his sprightly theme song, featured prominently throughout the series.

During his tenure with Disney Studios, Bruns continued to play dixieland jazz, leading his Wonderland Jazz Band on two recording sessions, and playing and recording occasionally with the Disney "house" band, the Firehouse Five Plus Two.

Bruns retired from Disney in 1976 and moved back to Sandy, Oregon.He taught part-time at Lewis & Clark College and continued to play and compose music, including recording at least one locally distributed album of jazz.-Wikipedia

Sound

D.I.Y. Duck

2024

Music

Michelle Kwan Skates to Disney's Greatest Hits

1999

Music

Man, Monsters & Mysteries

1974

Original Music Composer

Herbie Rides Again

1974

Music

Robin Hood

1973

Original Music Composer

I'm No Fool with Electricity

1973

Original Music Composer

VD Attack Plan

1973

Original Music Composer

Michael O'Hara the Fourth

1972

Music

The City Fox

1972

Music

The Strange Monster of Strawberry Cove

1971

Original Music Composer

The Aristocats

1970

Original Music Composer

The Wacky Zoo of Morgan City

1970

Music

Dad... Can I Borrow the Car?

1970

Music

New Girl

1970

Original Music Composer

It's Tough to Be a Bird

1969

Music

Inky, the Crow

1969

Music

Physical Fitness and Good Health

1969

Original Music Composer

The Social Side of Health

1969

Original Music Composer

Ride a Northbound Horse

1969

Music

The Love Bug

1968

Original Music Composer

The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit

1968

Original Music Composer

Daring Game

1968

Original Music Composer

Pablo and the Dancing Chihuahua

1968

Original Music Composer

The Jungle Book

1967

Original Music Composer

A Salute to Alaska

1967

Music

Mosby's Marauders

1967

Original Music Composer

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin

1967

Songs

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin

1967

Original Music Composer

EPCOT

1967

Music

Follow Me, Boys!

1966

Original Music Composer

The Ugly Dachshund

1966

Music

Goofy's Freeway Troubles

1965

Original Music Composer

An Otter in the Family

1965

Music

Freewayphobia

1965

Original Music Composer

A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood

1965

Songs

A Country Coyote Goes Hollywood

1965

Music

Disneyland 10th Anniversary

1965

Music

The Legend of Two Gypsy Dogs

1964

Music

The Legend of Two Gypsy Dogs

1964

Songs

Bristle Face

1964

Music

The Sword in the Stone

1963

Music

Son of Flubber

1963

Original Music Composer

Beetle's High Horps

1963

Music

Mooncussers

1962

Original Music Composer

Mooncussers

1962

Music

Back Stage Party

1961

Music

Babes in Toyland

1961

Music

The Saga of Windwagon Smith

1961

Original Music Composer

The Absent-Minded Professor

1961

Original Music Composer

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

1961

Original Music Composer

Goliath II

1960

Original Music Composer

Noah's Ark

1959

Original Music Composer

Disneyland '59

1959

Music

Paul Bunyan

1958

Original Music Composer

Disneyland: Mars and Beyond

1957

Music

The Truth About Mother Goose

1957

Original Music Composer

Westward Ho, The Wagons!

1956

Music

A Cowboy Needs a Horse

1956

Original Music Composer

In the Bag

1956

Music

Jack and Old Mac

1956

Original Music Composer

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates

1956

Music

Man and the Moon

1955

Music

Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race

1955

Music

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier

1955

Music

Man in Space

1955

Original Music Composer

Davy Crockett at the Alamo

1955

Music

Davy Crockett Goes to Congress

1955

Music

Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter

1954

Music

Operation Undersea

1954

Music Director

The Donald Duck Story

1954

Music

The Disneyland Story

1954

Music

How Now Boing Boing

1954

Music

Ballet-Oop

1954

Music

Christopher Crumpet

1953

Music

Little Boy with a Big Horn

1953

Music

George Bruns

Documentaries

Writing

Sound