Lee Elwood Holdridge (born March 3, 1944) is a Haitian-born American composer, conductor, and orchestrator. A 18-time Emmy Award nominee, he has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two

Daytime Emmy Awards The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (N ...

, two

News & Documentary Emmy Awards The News & Documentary Emmy Awards, or News & Documentary Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Scien ...

, and one

Sports Emmy Award The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports E ...

. He has also been nominated for two Grammy Awards.

Life and career

Holdridge was born in

Port-au-Prince, Haiti Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Haiti, most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618 ...

, of a Puerto Rican mother and an American father,

Leslie Holdridge Leslie Ransselaer Holdridge (September 29, 1907 – June 19, 1999) was an American botanist and climatologist. He was the father of composer Lee Holdridge as well as the father of Leslie A. Holdridge, Lorena Holdridge, Marbella Holdridge, Marly ...

, a botanist and climatologist. While living in Costa Rica, at age ten, he studied the

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

with Hugo Mariani, who was at the time the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica. He then moved to

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, where he finished

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

and studied composition with Henry Lasker. As an adult, Holdridge moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to continue his music studies and begin his career as a professional composer. There, he composed chamber works, rock pieces, songs, theater music and background scores for short films, and eventually came to Neil Diamond's notice. Diamond then brought Holdridge with him to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

to write arrangements for his forthcoming albums. After several

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

and

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Pla ...

hits, the two collaborated on the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

winning score for producer/director Hall Bartlett's film adaptation of '' Jonathan Livingston Seagull''. Neil Diamond sued Bartlett for cutting much of his music from the film. Diamond was also against sharing musical credit with Holdridge; however, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences ruled in Holdridge's favor. Bartlett was ordered to reinstate the five minutes of Diamond's music score and three of his songs, "Anthem", "Prologue", and "Dear Father", and that the onscreen credits were to state "Music and songs by Neil Diamond", "Background score composed and adapted by Neil Diamond and Lee Holdridge", and "Music supervision by Tom Catalano". Holdridge has composed and orchestrated for many films, including: * '' Jeremy'' (1973) * '' Forever Young, Forever Free'' (1975) * '' Mustang Country'' (1976) * '' The Pack'' (1977) * '' The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2'' (1978) * '' Like Mom, Like Me'' (1978) * ''

Moment by Moment ''Moment by Moment'' is a 1978 American romantic drama film written and directed by Jane Wagner and starring Lily Tomlin and John Travolta. It was produced by Robert Stigwood and released by Universal Pictures on December 22, 1978. The film was ...

'' (1978) * '' Tilt'' (1979) * ''

French Postcards French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

'' (1979) * ''

American Pop ''American Pop'' is a 1981 American adult animated jukebox musical drama film starring Ron Thompson and produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi. It was the fourth animated feature film to be presented in Dolby sound. The film tells the story of f ...

'' (1981) * '' The Day the Loving Stopped'' (1981) * ''

The Beastmaster ''The Beastmaster'' is a 1982 sword and sorcery film directed by Don Coscarelli and starring Marc Singer, Tanya Roberts, John Amos and Rip Torn. Loosely based on the 1959 novel ''The Beast Master'' by Andre Norton, the film is about a man wh ...

'' (1982) * '' Mr. Mom'' (1983) * '' Splash'' (1984) * '' Micki & Maude'' (1984) * '' Transylvania 6-5000'' (1985) * ''

The Men's Club ''The Men's Club'' is a 1986 American drama film directed by Peter Medak, based on the novel of the same name by Leonard Michaels. It stars Roy Scheider, Harvey Keitel, Frank Langella, Treat Williams, David Dukes and Richard Jordan. It is no ...

'' (1986) * '' A Tiger's Tale'' (1987) * ''

Big Business Big business involves large-scale corporate-controlled financial or business activities. As a term, it describes activities that run from "huge transactions" to the more general "doing big things". In corporate jargon, the concept is commonly ...

'' (1988) * '' Old Gringo'' (1989) * ''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pi ...

'' (1996) * '' Into Thin Air: Death on Everest'' (1997) * '' The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue'' (1998) * '' Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport'' (2000) * ''

Puerto Vallarta Squeeze ''Puerto Vallarta Squeeze'' is a novel by Robert James Waller, which was made into a film in 2004. Originally published in 1995 and subtitled ''The Run for el Norte'', this unlikely romance follows an American expatriate and his Mexican girlfrie ...

'' (2004) * '' Brothers at War'' (2009).Profile
, KRNV official website; accessed June 16, 2016. He composed for several television series, including: * '' Sara'' * '' East of Eden'' * ''

I'll Take Manhattan ''I'll Take Manhattan'' is a 1986 bonkbuster novel by American author Judith Krantz. It has been cited as her best novel because it is the one most closely rooted in her own experience as a writer and socialite. The book was adapted into a CBS ...

'' * '' Atomic Train'' * ''

The Mists of Avalon ''The Mists of Avalon'' is a 1983 historical fantasy novel by American writer Marion Zimmer Bradley, in which the author relates the Arthurian legends from the perspective of the female characters. The book follows the trajectory of Morgaine (M ...

'' * '' American Family'' * '' The Brooke Ellison Story'' * '' Moonlighting'' * ''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' * '' 10.5 Holdridge has performed and recorded in several

concerts A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variet ...

, including ''The Golden Land'', the ''Jefferson Tribute'', his suite from the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

''Lazarus and His Beloved'', the ''Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra'', the ''Concertino for Violoncello and Strings'', the ''Serenade for Oboe and Strings'', the ''Fantasy Sonata for ‘Cello and Piano'', the ''Elegy for Strings and Harp'', and ''Sonnet'' for soprano and

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

Personal life

Holdridge is married to ex-ballet dancer Elisa Justice. She is western region audition co-director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, hosts her own classical music radio show called "Eclectic Classics", and has co-produced a new album and documentary with Milt Okun called ''Great Voices Sing John Denver''. She won a "Best Producer" award for a documentary at the Madrid International Film Festival.

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy awards: *Nominated, 1985, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics for: '' Moonlighting'' theme song *Nominated, 1988, Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for: ''

'' *Won, 1988, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)for: ''Beauty and the Beast'' pilot episode *Won, 1989, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics for: ''Beauty and the Beast'' song "The First Time I Loved Forever" *Nominated, 1990, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: "Do You Know the Muffin Man"? *Nominated, 1993, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: "Call of the Wild" *Nominated, 1993, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for: ''Bob'' *Nominated, 1995, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: ''

Buffalo Girls ''Buffalo Girls'' is a 1990 novel written by American author Larry McMurtry about Calamity Jane. It is written in the novel prose style mixed with a series of letters from Calamity Jane to her daughter. In her letters, Calamity describes hersel ...

'' Part I *Nominated, 1996, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special for: ''

The Tuskegee Airmen ''The Tuskegee Airmen'' is a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of an actual groundbreaking unit, the first African-American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Corps, that fought in World War II. The film was directed by Ro ...

'' *Nominated, 1999, Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Movie (Dramatic Underscore) for: '' Mutiny'' *Nominated, 2002, Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: ''

Daytime Emmy The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (N ...

awards: *Won, 2000, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: '' One Life to Live'' *Nominated, 2002, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: ''One Life to Live'' *Nominated, 2004, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: ''One Life to Live'' *Won, 2005, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: ''One Life to Live'' *Nominated, 2006, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: ''One Life to Live'' Sports Emmy awards: *Won, 1998, Outstanding Achievement in a Craft: Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics for: ''Atlanta's Olympic Glory'' News and Documentary Emmy awards: *Won, 1988, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music for: ''The Explorers: A Century of Discovery'' *Won, 1991, Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Music Composition for: ''World of Discovery'' episode "Beautiful Killers" Grammy awards: *Won, 1974, Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special for: ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull'' soundtrack (shared with Neil Diamond,

Tom Catalano Tom Catalano (born April 2, 1933 in New York ) is an American record producer, most notable for his long-time collaboration with Neil Diamond. He was the producer on Anne Murray's single "Sunday Sunrise" in 1975 and " The Call" and " Golden Oldie ...

and others). *Nominated,

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...

, Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television for: ''Moonlighting'' theme song.

ASCAP Award The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

s: *Won, 1988, Top TV Series for: ''Moonlighting'' (1985)

References

External links

* * * *
PBS biography
as composer for ''American Valor'' * {{DEFAULTSORT:Holdridge, Lee 1944 births 20th-century American composers 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century classical composers 21st-century American composers 21st-century American conductors (music) 21st-century classical composers Film score composers American film score composers Film score composers American male conductors (music) American music arrangers American opera composers American people of Puerto Rican descent American television composers Daytime Emmy Award winners Grammy Award winners Haitian classical musicians Haitian composers Haitian emigrants to the United States John Denver Living people American male film score composers Male opera composers Neil Diamond Sports Emmy Award winners Varèse Sarabande Records artists

Life and career

Personal life

Awards and nominations

Further reading

See also

References

External links