Dick Marx

Dick Marx (April 12, 1924 – August 12, 1997) was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.

Personal life

Marx married Ruth Marx (née Guildoo) and had a son, singer/songwriter and record producer Richard Marx, from that marriage.^[1] Marx also had two daughters, Nancy and Judy, and a son, Jim, from a previous marriage.^[2]

Career

Marx played piano from childhood, and got his professional start playing in nightclubs in Chicago. In the 1950s he accompanied Helen Merrill and released several albums under his own name. From the 1960s, he worked extensively in advertising, writing some of the most popular jingles for brands such as Ken-L Ration, Doublemint, Kellogg's Raisin Bran, Dial Soap, Arm & Hammer, and Nestle Crunch. In 1968, he composed the fight song for the Chicago Blackhawks, Here Come the Hawks, which is still used extensively today.

In 1975, Marx wrote the news theme for Chicago station WBBM-TV, based on an old folk song "I Love Chicago, Chicago My Home." The theme was very popular during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when WBBM was the top-rated station in the market. Other CBS-owned stations soon began using the theme. The 10-note melody has since been incorporated into other news music packages, most recently "The CBS Enforcer Music Collection" by Gari Communications.

Marx moved to Los Angeles in 1986, where he scored films such as A League of Their Own and Edwards and Hunt and TV shows such as Fudge. He arranged for popular musicians such as Joe Cocker, Yoshiki, and his son, Richard Marx.

Death

Marx was injured in a car crash in Las Vegas in 1997, and died shortly thereafter in Highland Park, Illinois.

Discography

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• Too Much Piano (Brunswick Records, 1955)
• Dick Marx Piano (Coral Records, 1957)
• Marx Makes Broadway (VSOP, 1957)
• Delicate Savagery (Coral, 1958)

References

• Dick Marx at Allmusic