Rudolph, Frosty, And Captain Kangaroo: The Musical Life Of Hecky Krasnow-producer Of The World's Most Beloved Children's Songs

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"My work with Hecky gave me some of the happiest moments in my career. He was a true gentleman and friend."  —Rosemary Clooney "Hecky Krasnow took my career places I never dreamed it would go."  —Gene Autry "Hecky understood children and knew how to write material that truly tapped into their imaginations and met their needs."  —Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) "The man was a genius, and I was honored to work with him."  —Art Carney "Since meeting Hecky, I have forgotten my ABCs and learned my RSTs—Rudolph, Santa, and Thank You."  —Johnny Marks, composer of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" "To Hecky, whose gentle hand leadeth the singer in paths proper, progressive, and prosperous."  —Burl Ives "Without the alliance of Hecky, we would never have made it."  —Chad Mitchell (Chad Mitchell Trio) "Hecky was the very best in the field."  —Mitch Miller, producer and band leaderChildhood memories and well-researched facts are combined in this memoir by the daughter of Hecky Krasnow, the Columbia Records producer of such classic children's songs as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, "Frosty the Snowman," "The Captain Kangaroo March," "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," and "Smokey the Bear." Set against the dramatic backdrop of McCarthyism, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the birth of television and rock 'n' roll, this book explores the life of a progressive musical genius and details the fascinating children's entertainment industry, one of the biggest businesses of the mid-20th century. It is rich in never-before-told anecdotes about Hecky's work and friendships with celebrities including Gene Autry, Rosemary Clooney, Burl Ives, Art Carney, Captain Kangaroo, and Nina Simone. The book shows how television and rock 'n' roll forever altered how we view children and, therefore, what we offer them as entertainment.

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FROSTY, AND CAPTAIN KANGAROO • • • • • • • • • • • • The Musical Life of Hecky Krasnow — Producer of the World’s Most Beloved Children’s Songs • • • • • • • • • • • • A Memoir by Judy Gail Krasnow . . . . . . . . . . . . Copyright ©2007 by Judy Gail Krasnow All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part or in any form or format without the written permission of the publisher. Published by: Santa Monica Press LLC P.O. Box 1076 Santa Monica, CA 90406-1076 1-800-784-9553 www.santamonicapress.com [email protected] Printed in the United States Santa Monica Press books are available at special quantity discounts when purchased in bulk by corporations, organizations, or groups. Please call our Special Sales department at 1-800-784-9553. ISBN-13 978-1-59580-026-8 ISBN-10 1-59580-026-3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Krasnow, Judy Gail, 1942Rudolph, Frosty, and Captain Kangaroo : the musical life of Hecky Krasnow, producer of the world’s most beloved children’s songs / by Judy Gail Krasnow. p. cm. ISBN-13: 978-1-59580-026-8 ISBN-10: 1-59580-026-3 1. Krasnow, Hecky. 2. Sound recording executives and producers—United States—Biography. 3. Children’s songs—United States—20th century—History and criticism. I. Title. ML429.K88K73 2007 781.64092—dc22 [B] 2007033595 Cover and interior design and production by cooldogdesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . Foreword: Music That Lasts by Bill Harley 9 Chapter 1: A Gut Instinct Produces a Classic 13 Chapter 2: The Violin and the Fiddler 29 Chapter 3: Hard Times and New Beginnings 45 Chapter 4: A Profession for the Fiddler 63 Chapte