Biography
Richard Maltby's initial forays into music involved cornet performances in his school ensemble, followed by a brief enrollment at Northwestern University's music school alongside gigs in dance bands. Upon exiting college, he switched to trumpet duties in the orchestras of Little Jack Little, Roger Pryor, Bob Strong, and Henry Busse, while also handling arrangements. A 1940 arranger post with the WBBM radio orchestra in Chicago came next. Benny Goodman captured Maltby's "Six Flats Unfurnished" on disc in 1942. His 1945 relocation to New York led to network radio work as arranger-conductor, including projects alongside Paul Whiteman. Releases on RCA Victor subsidiaries produced a Top 40 entry, "St. Louis Blues Mambo," via the X label in fall 1954. He formed his own dance band in May 1955, scoring a Top 20 placement with "(Themes From) The Man With the Golden Arm" on Vik the following spring. RCA gave way to Columbia in 1959 and Roulette in 1960. Between 1950 and 1965 he directed SESAC Jazz Classics sessions for radio transcriptions and led ensembles behind Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Johnnie Ray, Vic Damone, and Ethel Merman. After ending his own recording activity in the mid-1960s, he arranged and conducted for Lawrence Welk on both records and television. Heart issues requiring multiple operations forced retirement, culminating in his death at age 77. Son Richard Maltby Jr. later built a prominent career as a Broadway lyricist and director.