Vera Matson(1909-1994)
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Wife of Ken Darby, composer, vocal arranger ("The Wizard of Oz", "How
The West Was Won") who was best known for his choral arrangements for
film adaptations of Rodgers & Hammerstein Broadway musicals ("South
Pacific", "Flower Drum Song", "The King & I", "Carousel") during a long
association with 20th Century Fox.
Darby wrote the songs for the soundtrack of Elvis Presley's first film, "Love Me Tender". The melody for the title song was written in the Civil War era for a song called "Aura Lee", with Darby composing new lyrics. Although he did not wish to be credited on any of these songs but did wish to earn royalties for them, he credited them under the pseudonym Vera Matson, his wife's maiden name. She is also credited as having written the lyrics to the theme to the 1964 "Daniel Boone" TV show, but whether it was again Darby who actually wrote the lyrics is unknown.
The two enjoyed a sixty-year marriage, which ended upon Darby's death in 1992.
Darby wrote the songs for the soundtrack of Elvis Presley's first film, "Love Me Tender". The melody for the title song was written in the Civil War era for a song called "Aura Lee", with Darby composing new lyrics. Although he did not wish to be credited on any of these songs but did wish to earn royalties for them, he credited them under the pseudonym Vera Matson, his wife's maiden name. She is also credited as having written the lyrics to the theme to the 1964 "Daniel Boone" TV show, but whether it was again Darby who actually wrote the lyrics is unknown.
The two enjoyed a sixty-year marriage, which ended upon Darby's death in 1992.
