Mitchell Parish

Biography in: "American National Biography". Supplement 1, pp. 467-468. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

1979) in 1922. They had two daughters and a son.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.

Only one hit came from a film: 1953's "Ruby.

In 1951, he wrote the English lyrics of the French song "Maître Pierre" which were written in 1948 by Jacques Plante with the music of Henri Betti. The title song became "The Windmill Song" and the song was recorded in New York October 24, 1951 by The Andrews Sisters with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra.

" Parish returned to college at mid-life and graduated from New York University summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa in 1950. He married Molly Lillienfeld (d.

Parish penned many outstanding song hits, including "Sweet Lorraine" (1927), "Star Dust" (1929), "Mood Indigo" (1931, uncredited), "Sophisticated Lady" (1933), "Don't Be That Way" (1936), "Deep Purple, " "Moonlight Serenade" (both 1939), "Sleigh Ride" (1950), and "Volare" (1958).

Mitchell Parish was born Michael Hyman Peretz in Lithuania. He came to USA at age seven months and lived in Louisiana until about age four when he moved to New York City. His whole family changed its name to Parish soon after arriving in America; Parish changed his first name to Mitchell when he became a songwriter in 1919.