Biography

Prolific American lyricist and songwriter, one of the giants of Tin Pan Alley. He contributed numerous popular standards to jazz and to the big band scene. His catalogue includes such titles as "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (theme song for bandleader Tommy Dorsey), the ballad "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You", the 1940 Oscar-winner "When You Wish Upon a Star" (from Pinocchio (1940)), "The Nearness of You" (made popular by Glenn Miller), "Stella By Starlight", "Green Dolphin Street", "La Cucaracha" and the western classics "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin" (Oscar-winner for High Noon (1952) and the "Rawhide" theme.

Washington had his roots in vaudeville as a master of ceremonies. Having joined ASCAP in 1930, he started his songwriting career with Earl Carroll's Vanities on Broadway in the late 1920's. In 1934, he was signed by MGM and relocated to Hollywood, eventually writing full scores for feature films. During the 40's, he worked for a number of studios, including Paramount, Warner Brothers, Disney and Republic. During these tenures, he collaborated with many of the great composers of the era, including Hoagy Carmichael, Victor Young, Max Steiner and Dimitri Tiomkin.
- IMDb mini biography by: I.S.Mowis