HENRY MANCINI'S ENDURING LEGACY

On the occasion of what would have been the legendary film composer's 80th Birthday, a new U.S. postage stamp, new album releases and a renewed appreciation of his talent honor one of America's greatest treasures

By Jim Steinblatt

"Of all the Grammy and Academy Awards and acknowledgments, I don't think anything quite compares to a U.S. postage stamp. He'd have been blown away," says Ginny Mancini of the great honor done to the memory of her late husband in April, when the U.S.. Post Office issued a Henry Mancini commemorative stamp. The ceremony, which coincided with the tenth anniversary of Mancini's passing and what would have been the film composer's 80th birthday, took place in downtown Los Angeles and was presided over by U.S. Postmaster John E. Potter and fomer Senator John Glenn of Ohio (Mancini's home state). Featured were performances of Mancini's music by the U.S.C. marching band, and James Galway, leading 100 high school flutists in a rendition of Mancini's immortal Pink Panther theme.

The Cleveland-born Mancini was responsible for many of the most memorable film scores of the past 50 years, including: Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Days of Wine and Roses, Dear Heart, Hatari!, Charade, Wait Until Dark, Two for the Road and 10. In television, Mancini's contributions ranged from the early detective shows, Peter Gunn and Mr. Lucky to Newhart and Hotel. The driving Peter Gunn theme, of course, is a rock & roll standard, a tune recorded by everyone from Duane Eddy to Emerson, Lake and Palmer to punk rockers, The Cramps. Mancini was the recipient of four Academy Awards and 20 Grammy Awards. And the music from The Pink Panther, as Ginny Mancini says, "is one of the very few pieces of music that children everywhere will recognize after hearing just two notes." In connection with this special Mancini year, record companies have issued collections celebrating the composer's musical legacy. These include: Midnight, Moonlight and Magic: The Very Best of Henry Mancini (BMG Heritage) and Mrs. Mancini's personal favorite The Ultimate Henry Mancini (Concord Records), a collection of newly-recorded Mancini hits featuring vocal or instrumental performances by Henry's daughter Monica Mancini, Kenny Rankin, Take 6, Tom Scott, Gary Burton and Stevie Wonder, among others.

Ginny Mancini views the postage stamp as more than a commemoration of her husband's wonderful career. "For me, this stamp is a marketing tool for arts education programs – music education, in particular."

Ginny Mancini, who also serves and is an active participant on The ASCAP Foundation board, views the postage stamp as more than a commemoration of her husband’s wonderful career. "For me, this stamp is a marketing tool for arts education programs — music education, in particular." A longtime project supported by Mrs. Mancini is The Henry Mancini Institute, a multi-faceted organization providing year-round music education and performance opportunities for young people. "With the Institute in full swing, I've got all the participants wearing Mancini postage stamp pins," adds Mrs. Mancini. "Who better to spread the word than the young people who are experiencing what Hank was all about."

Asked why her husband's music endures, Mrs. Mancini theorizes that talent and enthusiasm coupled with "incredible diversity" are responsible. "His versatility (as a composer, arranger, conductor and instrumentalist) made his life and career very interesting," she says. "No matter where I go in the world, someone will tell me a story of how his music impacted their lives in a positive way." Always returning to the theme of arts education, Ginny hastens to add: "Frankly, if he hadn't had music education as a child, he'd never have ended up on a postage stamp and that's why I get on my soapbox all the time."