Milton DeLugg

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Milton DeLugg (born December 2, 1918 in Los Angeles, California) is an American composer and arranger.

Following World War II he quickly became a successful arranger and composer. His clients ranged from the American Junior Miss Pageant to Jackie Wilson, and he was a musician on such radio programs as The Abe Burrows Show. One of his best known tunes is an arrangement of the song "The Happy Wanderer". He is also known (infamously) as the composer of "Hooray for Santy Claus," the theme song for the motion picture Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

In 1950 and 1951, Mr. DeLugg was musical director, bandleader, and accordionist on Broadway Open House an NBC late-night television program which has been considered a forerunner to the Tonight Show. He often played a song he co-wrote, titled, "Orange Colored Sky," which was best remembered as a hit for Nat King Cole.

In 1953, he played accordion leading the Milton DeLugg Trio on the short-lived Bill Cullen Show.[1]

In 1966 he was briefly musical director of the Tonight Show Band. In the 1970s he was musical director of The Gong Show.

[edit] References

• Terrace, Vincent. Radio Programs, 1924-1984. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-0351-9
• http://www.spaceagepop.com/delugg.htm