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American composer, conductor, and arranger renowned for iconic film and television scores. Henry Mancini was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and studied at Juilliard. He served in WWII before joining the Glenn Miller Orchestra. At Universal Pictures, he revolutionized soundtrack composition. He won four Academy Awards, 20 Grammys, and a Golden Globe, creating timeless themes like 'Moon River' and 'The Pink Panther'.

• His father, a steelworker and amateur musician, taught him flute and piano, igniting his passion for music.
• During WWII, he participated in liberating a Nazi concentration camp while serving in the Army Air Corps.
• Mancini's collaboration with director Blake Edwards began with 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' (1961), leading to decades of iconic partnerships including 'The Pink Panther' series.
• He battled pancreatic cancer for three years before his death; his final composition was for the film 'Tom and Jerry: The Movie' (1992).
• Despite his sophisticated image, Mancini faced criticism from jazz purists who felt his Hollywood work diluted the genre.