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Mitchell Ayres (December 24, 1909 – September 5, 1969) was an orchestra leader, music arranger, composer and performer. He is best known for his many years of work with Perry Como on radio, records, and television and as the musical conductor for The Hollywood Palace.
Fashions in Music was then signed to their first recording contract for "Row, Row, Row", which sold 50,000 copies soon after its release. Radio stations began playing the record, and the orchestra was in demand for appearances throughout the country. In 1939, Bluebird Records offered the band an initial one-year contract; the arrangement lasted until 1942. All the while, the orchestra continued to function as a company, with the musician shareholders discussing business matters and voting on them. By 1940, the orchestra had its own show on CBS Radio. (PDF) Ayres and the band appeared in three 1940s films: Swingtime Johnny, Moonlight and Cactus, and Lady, Let's Dance.
Ayres and his orchestra reached the national top 5 with their version of "Make Believe Island" (1940), vocal by Mary Ann Mercer.
Mitchell Ayres' first association with Perry Como came in 1944 when he was asked to conduct for a demo recording of a radio program with Como as its host. The program became The Chesterfield Supper Club. Ayres and Como shared an enthusiasm for golf and often played together. In 1948, Como offered Ayres the job as the conductor of his "Supper Club" broadcasts while the two were playing golf. Ayres and his orchestra also began recording with Como for RCA Victor; Como's pronunciation and phrasing on the recordings of "Kol Nidrei" and "Eli, Eli" were learned from a member of Ayres' orchestra, who was the son of a rabbi.
When The Chesterfield Supper Club moved to television in late 1948, Ayres and his orchestra were part of the cast. Ayres and his orchestra remained with Como on his CBS television show, moving to NBC for both The Perry Como Show and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall. While both Ayres and Como were working at CBS, Ayres and his orchestra also worked on the TV's Top Tunes program, which was a summer replacement for Como's television show. They were regulars on Como's programs until 1964.
In 1963, after almost 20 years of a regularly scheduled radio or television show, Perry Como was not certain if he would continue making regular television appearances. His uncertainty caused Ayres to accept an offer to become the conductor for a new television show, The Hollywood Palace, which premiered in January 1964. He was nominated for an Emmy award for his musical work on the show in 1966 and again in 1968. At the time of his death, Ayres was working for the television program.
Studio work and Como
During World War II, Ayres began conducting for vocal groups such as The Andrews Sisters. He also began working for Columbia Records as a musical director, working with Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, Pearl Bailey, and others signed to the record label, including Doris Day and Dinah Shore.
Death
Ayres was struck and killed by a car while crossing a street in Winchester, Nevada on September 5, 1969. He was in the Las Vegas area working as the musical conductor for Connie Francis' show at the newly opened Landmark Hotel. He was survived by his wife, Georgianna, a son, Lawrence, and a daughter, Judith. One week after her husband's death, Georgianna Ayres died of a heart attack. "Ayres, Georgianna, September 12, 1969, in Los Angeles, wife of the late Mitchell Ayres" (pay per view) Ayres and his wife are buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.
Compositions
Among the songs composed by Ayres are "Scratchin' the Surface", "He's a Wolf", "I'm a Slave to You" and "Madeira".
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Categories: 1909 Births, 1969 Deaths, Teachers College, Columbia University Alumni, Musicians From Milwaukee, Songwriters From Wisconsin, American Music Arrangers, American Male Conductors, Orchestra Leaders, Road Incident Deaths In Nevada, Burials At Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 20th-century American Conductors, Bluebird Records Artists, Classical Musicians From Wisconsin, 20th-century American Male Musicians, American Male Songwriters, 20th-century American Songwriters
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