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Composer Leigh Harline graced Disney with a musical sophistication that was uniquely “Harline-esque,” by weaving rich tapestries of mood-setting underscores and penning memorable melodies for animated shorts and features. Among his creations were the beloved “When You Wish Upon a Star,” which debuted in 1940’s Pinocchio. As Disney producer and director Wilfred Jackson told writer Ross Care, “[Leigh’s songs] seemed like symphonic writing by a good classical composer.” He added, Leigh’s music “was melodic enough, but his countermelodies, his harmonic structure, all contributed so much more to the final effectiveness of his scores. Leigh could not have conveyed the full feeling of his scores with just two hands and a piano.”

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 26, 1907, Leigh was one of 13 children. He majored in music at the University of Utah and studied piano and organ with former director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, J. Spencer Cornwall.

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