John Blackburn
John M. Blackburn (October 19, 1913 – November 15, 2006) was an American lyricist best known for the classic song "Moonlight in Vermont," which he wrote with composer Karl Suessdorf. Born in Massillon, Ohio, and raised in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Blackburn grew up in a musically inclined family, with a mother who was a composer and two sisters who were writers. He pursued a career in theater, traveling with a puppet theater that took him to Vermont, where he found inspiration for "Moonlight in Vermont." The song, introduced by Margaret Whiting in 1944, became a signature tune for her and was covered by many artists, including Frank Sinatra and Willie Nelson.
In the early 1940s, Blackburn moved to Southern California, where he worked for Lockheed and was involved with the Pasadena Playhouse as an actor and director. He co-founded Selective Records in 1949, recording R&B musicians, though the label was short-lived. Blackburn also contributed to the Gemini and Apollo space programs while working at Rockwell International.
Despite his success with "Moonlight in Vermont," Blackburn continued to write music throughout his life, including the song "Susquehanna," recorded by Oscar Peterson in 1957. After retiring in 1976, he established the Downey Marionette Theatre and remained active in regional theater productions. Blackburn spent his later years in Newport, Oregon, where he continued to write until his death in 2006.
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