American musician
Dick Marx |
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| Birth name | Richard Henry Marx |
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| Born | (1924-04-12)April 12, 1924
Chicago, Illinois[1] |
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| Died | August 12, 1997(1997-08-12) (aged 73)
Highland Park, Illinois |
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| Genres | Jazz, pop, rock |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, arranger, composer |
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| Instrument(s) | Piano |
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| Years active | 1950s–1997 |
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Musical artist
Richard Henry Marx (April 12, 1924 – August 12, 1997) was an American jazz pianist and arranger. He also composed for film, television, and commercials.
Personal life
Marx and wife Ruth (née Guildoo) had a son, Richard Marx, pop singer, songwriter, and record producer.[2] Marx also had two daughters and a son, from a previous marriage.[3] He was of German Jewish descent.[4][5]
Career
Marx played piano in childhood. He got his professional start playing in nightclubs in Chicago.[6] In the 1950s, he accompanied singer Helen Merrill and released several albums.
Beginning in the 1960s, he spent three decades in advertising, writing commercial jingles for Dial soap, Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal, Ken-L Ration dog food, Nestle's Crunch candy bars, Arm & Hammer baking soda, Virginia Slims cigarettes, La Choy Chinese food, the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team and many more.[7] His son Richard and wife Ruth sang on some of the commercials. In the 1980s he moved to Los Angeles and composed music for the films A League of Their Own and Edwards and Hunt and the television program Fudge. He died in Highland Park, Illinois, from injuries caused by a car accident in Las Vegas.[6]
