Don Robertson (songwriter)
Donald Irwin Robertson (December 5, 1922 – March 16, 2015) was an American songwriter and pianist, mostly in the country and popular music genres. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972. As a performer, he hit the US Top 10 with "The Happy Whistler" in 1956 (peaking at No. 6). The track reached No. 8 in the UK Singles Chart the same year. It sold more than one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
Don Robertson | |
|---|---|
Robertson in 1966 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Donald Irwin Robertson |
| Born | December 5, 1922 Beijing, China |
| Died | March 16, 2015 (aged 92) California, United States |
| Genres | Country music, pop music |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Piano |
| Labels | Capitol Records |
Although contracted to Capitol at the time of his biggest selling hit single, Robertson subsequently signed a recording contract with RCA Victor. He composed or co-composed with Hal Blair (né Harold Keller Brown; 1915–2001), many hits for other musicians, including Elvis Presley, who recorded more than a dozen of Robertson's songs, five of which appeared in Presley's numerous films. He is also the inventor of the "slip note" piano style made famous by Floyd Cramer. Having resided in Lake Sherwood, California for 55 years, he died in 2015.