Percy Faith
Percy Faith was born on April 7, 1908, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Abraham and Minnie Faith. He was the eldest of eight children in a Jewish family. Faith showed early musical talent, studying violin and piano, and performing in theaters and at Massey Hall. However, a fire accident at age 18 severely burned his hands, leading him to pivot from performing to conducting and arranging music.
Faith's career began in Canada, where he worked with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and became known for his radio program "Music by Faith." He moved to the United States in 1940, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1945. He worked with NBC and CBS radio networks, leading orchestras for popular programs such as The Carnation Contented Hour and The Coca-Cola Hour.
In the 1950s, Faith joined Columbia Records, where he became a prominent figure in the easy listening genre, arranging music for artists like Tony Bennett, Doris Day, and Johnny Mathis. His orchestral arrangements, characterized by lush string sections, became his signature style. Faith's notable recordings include "Delicado," "The Song from Moulin Rouge," and "Theme from A Summer Place," the latter of which won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1961.
Faith's influence extended beyond recordings; he was a respected conductor and arranger with a career spanning radio, television, movies, and live concerts. He passed away on February 9, 1976, in Encino, California, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneer of the easy listening genre.
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