Munford, Gordon, 1929-1999

Gordon Eugene Munford was born on June 8, 1929 in Sacramento, California. According to his obituary in the Sacramento Bee, he attended Sacramento City College, and transferred to the University of Southern California. While at USC, he served as student director and arranger for the Trojan Football Band. He later studied with Darius Milhaud when Milhaud was teaching at Mills College, and completed his studies at New York University. Munford enjoyed a long career as a music director on and off Broadway, conducting shows with Tony Bennett, Shirley Jones, and Ginger Rogers. He also served as a conductor and arranger for Gordon MacRae and Jane Powell, and as a pops arranger for more than 75 orchestras, including those of Cleveland, Baltimore, and Dallas. Munford was also a member of the American Federation of Musicians and the American Society for Composers, Authors and Publishers. He relocated to Las Vegas in later years, and died there on September 18, 1999.