harpo marx

Bill Marx

William Woollcott Marx (born January 8, 1937) is an American pianist, arranger, and composer. He is the adopted son of actors Harpo Marx and Susan Fleming.

Marx was placed in the Children's Home Society in Los Angeles by his birth parents when he was eight months old, and four months later he was adopted by Harpo Marx and his wife, Susan Fleming. He attended the Juilliard School, where he studied composition and he studied with composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. He began working in entertainment when he was 12 years old, when he was put in charge of his father's props for shows, including his harp. At 16 he became arranger and musical conductor for his father.

Marx's compositions include concertos for alto saxophone, flute, harp, piano, and violin.] He also composed symphonies and scores for films, including the score for the film Weekend Pass (1984).

Marx transcribed music that his father composed, because the elder Marx did not read music. The two worked together on two albums that Harpo recorded in the early 1960s. He also composed and arranged for recording artists in both jazz and popular music.

In 1961, Marx signed with Vee-Jay Records. His projects there included arranging cover versions of music for four albums by the Castaway Strings. In 1967, he began writing music for commercials.

In the 1970s, he composed for several low-budget horror movies, including Scream Blacula Scream, Terror at Red Wolf Inn, and Count Yorga, Vampire. For these projects, he often collaborated with lyricist Marilyn Lovell. He continued his work on films outside the horror genre throughout the 1980s, such as arranging music for John Cassavetes' Big Trouble .

As a performer, Marx has played in jazz clubs, lounges, and theaters In the late 1980s, Marx and harpist Carrol McLaughlin toured the United States, giving performances and promoting Harpo Speaks, his father's autobiography.

In the early 1990s, Los Angeles magazine named Marx the most popular lounge pianist in that city. In 2002, he received a star at 265 S. Palm Canyon Drive on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
                                                           (Adapted from wikipedia).
Buy the books:

Bill's book: https://www.amazon.com/Son-Harpo-Speaks-Bill-Marx-ebook/dp/B00INB1JLW/

Harpo's book: https://www.amazon.com/Harpo-Speaks-Marx-ebook/dp/B06XWDPNB4/

Susan's book : https://www.amazon.com/Speaking-Harpo-Susan-Fleming-Marx-ebook/dp/B09XTJ1KC6/

Photo: Copyright Wilkinson/2023

Opening and closing music courtesy the very talented Zakhar Valaha via Pixabay.

To contact Wilkinson- email him at BecomingWilkinson@gmail.com

Read by Terry Casburn

Production and Sound Design by Kevin Seaman

Production and Sound Design by Kevin Seaman

Before you say goodnight, Gracie, listen to my decades-old interview straight from the vault with comedy legend George Burns. The conversation was recorded in December of 1985, back when Burns was about to turn 90 and I was a rookie writer with the Canadian edition of TV Guide magazine.
The audio was recorded 37 years ago on a Sony cassette tape I've kept among dozens of others dating back to my days at the magazine. I spoke with Burns and his manager, Irving Fein, at the comedians office on a studio lot in Hollywood. 
We talk about his incredible career spanning vaudeville, radio, television and film, including his nearly 40 year marriage and comedy team partnership with Gracie Allen. 
He also talks about "these comedy kids today" (Billy Crystal, Bill Cosby, etc) and his Oscar win at 80 for "The Sunshine Boys." He also shares memories of vaudeville pals such as Harpo Marx, hints on diet and exercise (he lived to be 100) and why he only smoked cheap cigars on-stage and off-.
Travel back in time and listen to a true Hollywood legend -- as well as George Burns.  Out of the vault now at brioux.tv.