Artist page
Joe Harnell was an American easy listening pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader, born on August 2, 1924, in The Bronx, New York City, New York. He began playing piano at the age of six and was performing in his father's ensembles by the age of 14. Harnell attended the University of Miami on a music scholarship in the early 1940s and studied under notable figures such as Nadia Boulanger in Paris and William Walton at Trinity College of Music in London. After his discharge from the military in 1946, he continued his studies at Tanglewood under Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein. Throughout his career, Harnell wrote the United Artists logo music for film and television, played piano in dance bands, and served as music director for various artists, including Harry Richman, Jane Froman, Peggy Lee, Carol Lawrence, Robert Goulet, and Marlene Dietrich. From 1967 to 1973, he was the musical director, pianist, and bandleader for The Mike Douglas Show. Harnell achieved chart success with three instrumentals from 1962 to 1967, with "Fly Me to the Moon - Bossa Nova" reaching #4 on the adult contemporary chart and #14 overall in the U.S. in 1962. This track finished at #89 on the Original Billboard Year-End Hot 100 Singles charts for 1963. Joe Harnell passed away on July
For any edit requests, please reach out to info@rovr.live