Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

Composers and Lyricists

"He said, 'we want a song called 'Bonanza.'' It had to be short and it had to sound like strong men were riding into somewhere and maybe have a western flavor, and it couldn't be too long, sixteen bars. And that's it. 'Go and see what you can do.'"

About This Interview

Ray Evans (1915-2007) and his partner Jay Livingston (1915-2001) were interviewed for nearly an hour-and-a-half in Los Angeles, CA. They discussed the genesis of their 60-year partnership, and how they arrived in Hollywood to write songs for movies. The duo recalled signing a contract at Paramount Pictures, and outlined the origins of their Oscar nominated and winning tunes, including "Buttons and Bows," "Mona Lisa," "Que Sera, Sera" and "Tammy." They share the story behind the now classic Christmas song, "Silver Bells," for the Bob Hope film "The Lemon Drop Kid", and detail the theme songs they wrote for television shows Bonanza, Mister Ed, and The Doris Day Show. Evans and Livingston also mentioned their collaboration with composer Henry Mancini, and spoke about the entertainers they have written for throughout the years, including Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, Dinah Shore, Rosemary Clooney and Debbie Reynolds.The interview was conducted by Jon Burlingame on February 8, 2000.