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Ray Gilbert was an American composer, lyricist, and educator, who was notable for co-writing the Academy Award winning song, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" with Allie Wrubel for the film Song of the South and has been used in both Disney and outside productions since its release.

Gilbert grew up in Hartford, Connecticut and came to Hollywood in 1939. He wrote for Earl Carroll before signing to Walt Disney's company as part of the songwriting staff. He would help to compose songs for many of the studio's package films, like The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Melody Time, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. He also co-wrote "Free as the Breeze", a deleted song from Lady and the Tramp, with Eliot Daniel.

Joining ASCAP in 1946, his chief musical collaborators included Hoagy Carmichael, Ted Fio Rito, Allie Wrubel, Eddie Sauter, and Paul A. Nero. His notable compositions included "That's a-Plenty", "The Hot Canary", "Cuanto le Gusta", "Cherry", "If You Went Away", "Muskrat Ramble", "A Zoot Suit (for My Sunday Gal)", "Chihuahua", "Once I Loved", "Crickets Sing For Anamaria", "Boom-Da-Boom", "The Band Played On", and "Whistle Your Way Back Home". He also wrote the English lyrics of the Andy Williams' 1965 hit "...and Roses and Roses" and "Lost in Your Love" with Sidney Miller, to music by Bert Jay.

Some of his songs were written for or appeared in films, such as Moonlight and Cactus, My Darling Clementine, and Man from Music Mountain.

Gilbert died in 1976 following complications from open heart surgery.

Disney filmography[]

Year Film Position
1941 Dumbo Music Department - uncredited
1944 The Three Caballeros lyrics: "The Three Caballeros"
"Baía"
"You Belong to My Heart (Now and Forever)"
"Mexico"
1946 Make Mine Music lyrics: "All the Cats Join In"
"Without You"
"Two Silhouettes"
"Johnny Fedora and Blue Bonnet"
"Blue Bayou"
"Casey (The Pride of Them All)" - uncredited
1946 Song of the South lyrics: "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
"Everybody's Got a Laughing Place"
"Sooner or Later"
1948 Melody Time lyrics: "Once Upon a Wintertime"
"Blame It on the Samba"
1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad lyrics: "The Merrily Song" - uncredited
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