Biography
Born on 28 August 1914 in Munising, Michigan, USA, to parents who had emigrated from Russia, Osser established a long and prosperous career as an arranger and conductor for leading bands and vocalists. Through inventive scoring techniques he developed a recognizable string timbre that he characterized as ‘voicing register, and composition of the counterpoint’. At the outset he devoted himself chiefly to writing arrangements whose charts were taken up by Bob Crosby, Charlie Barnet, Bunny Berigan, Paul Whiteman, Les Brown and Red Nichols. Even while maintaining steady work with Whiteman, then Musical Director of the ABC Network, Osser found himself in high demand throughout the 1950s as an album accompanist for Georgia Gibbs, Vic Damone, Jack Jones, Frankie Laine, John Raitt, Maurice Chevalier and Guy Mitchell. He simultaneously produced his own instrumental albums, several of them featuring Bobby Hackett and Joe Bushkin. Subsequent releases placed him behind Johnny Mathis, Jerry Vale, Tony Bennett, Robert Goulet and Leslie Uggams. After leaving US Columbia Records for RCA Records he contributed to projects with Della Reese and Sam Cooke. He remained Music Director and arranger for the Miss America Beauty Pageant on television until 1987, a period during which he and his wife supplied original songs including ‘Miss America, You’re Beautiful’ and ‘Look At Her’. He also composed numerous works for concert band that continue to be performed regularly by high school and college ensembles throughout the USA.