Darby, Ken

Ken Darby (1909-1992) was a vocal performer, coach, supervisor, arranger, condutor, and musical scorer. He worked on many motion pictures and composed "Love Me Tender" and acted as Elvis Presley's vocal coach.

Kenneth Lorin Darby (1909-1992) was born in Hebron, Nebraska. He was a vocal performer, coach, supervisor, arranger, conductor and musical scorer for many motion pictures. In 1929, he became a member of the vocal group The King's Men, who performed on the radio show "Fibber McGee and Molly" and in many motion pictures. He worked with Disney as a vocal director and song writer, and with 20th Century Fox as a studio associate to Alfred Newman. He composed "Love Me Tender" and acted as vocal coach to Elvis Presley. He was the author of Hollywood Holyland and worked on many of the most popular films of the 1940s and 1950s. These included: The Robe, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and South Pacific, winning Academy Awards for Camelot, The King and I, and Porgy and Bess.

From the guide to the Ken Darby papers, 1929-1992, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)