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Biography of Oscar LevantName: Oscar LevantBirth Date: December 27, 1906 Death Date: August 14, 1972 Place of Birth: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America Nationality: American Gender: Male Occupations: composer, pianist, actor, author Oscar Levant If George Gershwin had an alter-ego, most people would agree that it was Oscar Levant (1906-1972), film composer and arranger. Levant, who was best known as a jazz pianist, was considered to have been the most accomplished interpreter of the vast songbook of U.S. composer George Gershwin, and was the first performer to record "Rhapsody in Blue" after Gershwin. He also scored numerous Broadway plays and Hollywood films, composed classical music, authored several books, and contributed numerous articles on musical topics.Levant was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 27, 1906 to Max and Annie Levant, Orthodox Russian Jews. His talent with music was recognized early in his life, but he was a troublesome child to his music teachers and his parents, displaying a constant aversion to people who represented authority. His father, a demanding parent, insisted that all of his sons receive musical training and perform at family recitals, exactly as …showed first 150 words…
…showed last 150 words…Levant again dove into marital waters when he married June Gale. They had three daughters, Marcia Ann, Lorna, and Amanda. The marriage was often explosive and the couple frequently found their private lives the topic of newspaper articles. There were moments of physical abuse, once when Levant charged that June threatened him with scissors. Yet through all of the marital problems that racked their life together, Levant's wife of 33 years remained with him until his death.On August 14, 1972, Levant, a man who spoke openly about the devils that plagued him, died peacefully. He was buried in Westwood Memorial Park, West Los Angeles, California. A man who never got beyond the shadow of his best friend during his lifetime, may well have taken that very step with the legacy of music he left behind. He would have enjoyed that irony. Further Reading Entertainment Weekly, May 20, 1994.Forward, June 24, 1994.Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1997. |