With its proximity to the cultural hub of New York City and its quieter suburban and rural landscapes, Connecticut was fertile ground for artists and writers in the period of Modernist movements between 1913 and 1979. Many of these cultural figures are well known through biographical and critical studies. Creative Places seeks to show how place played a significant role in creative work, and how in turn the artists and writers influenced communities in Connecticut.
Noel Regney
Music
1922 – 2002
- Biography/Description of Work
Originally from France, songwriter Rigney composed the Christmas standard ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ with his then-wife Gloria Shayne Baker in 1962. It was purportedly written as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The 1963 rendition by Bing Crosby was a smash hit. He penned other songs with Shayne, such as ‘Rain, Rain, Go Away’ recorded by Bobby Vinton and wrote the English lyrics for the 1963 hit song ‘Dominique,’ as well as music and lyrics for several musicals. After immigrating to the States, Rigney lived first in New York City in the 1950s and then around 1960 in Connecticut, where he wrote ‘Do You Hear What I Hear?’ and lived out the remainder of his life.
- Sources view
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No%C3%ABl_Regney, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/arts/11baker.html?ref=arts&_r=0, http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Dec2007/Feature2.asp, http://articles.latimes.com/2002/nov/30/local/me-regney30, Noel Regney Article - New York Times - 1985-12-8, Noel Regney Ex-Wife Article - New York Times - 1958-7-19, Noel Regney Obituary - New York Times - 2002-12-1
- Associated Resource(s)