Richard Warren Joseph Hayman was born on March 27, 1920, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and became a prominent American musician, primarily as a singer and arranger. He began his career in his teens as a player and arranger for the Borrah Minnevitch Harmonica Rascals, later working as an arranger for Metro‑Goldwyn‑Mayer studios on films such as Girl Crazy and Meet Me in St. Louis during the 1940s. In 1945 he served as musical director for the Vaughn Monroe Orchestra, and by the early 1950s he had joined Mercury Records, recording a series of albums and singles, including Havana In Hi‑Fi (1957) and "Night Train" (1961). His 1952 single "Ruby" from the film Ruby Gentry reached the top of international charts, featuring his signature harmonica solo, while the flip side, "Dansero", also achieved worldwide success. Hayman’s long tenure as principal arranger for the Boston Pops Orchestra spanned over 30 years, and he later held the position of Principal Pops Conductor for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra from 1976 until 2001, followed by a 21‑season leadership of the Grand Rapids Symphony until his retirement in 2006; he was named Pops Conductor Laureate thereafter. He also founded the Florida Sunshine Pops orchestra and continued guest conducting across the United States and Europe. Richard Warren Joseph Hayman passed away in New York on February 5, 2014, at the age of 93.
