Lyricist, composer Bill Carey dies

Lyricist and composer Bill Carey died Jan. 27. He was 87.

The longtime Laguna Beach resident wrote songs for Ella

Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Sarah

Vaughn. More recent artists to record his music are Joni Mitchell,

George Michael and Eva Cassity.

Born in Holister, Calif. in 1916, Mr. Carey began singing various

San Francisco nightclubs before even graduating from high school. He

began singing with Ted Fio Rito’s Orchestra in 1933 and sang with

Muzzy Marcelino and Betty Grable.

He went on to work in the music and movie industry and had his own

jazz program two nights a week called “Carey’s Capers.”

From 1935 to 1938, Mr. Carey played various rolls in movies:

“Roberta,” “Old Man Rhythm,” “Freshman Love” and “Yank at Oxford.” He

played alongside James Cagney in “Something to Sing About” in 1937

and alongside Randolph Scott in “Campus Confessions.” Mr. Carey also

sang and danced with Fred Astaire in another musical.

Mr. Carey started writing lyrics for songs in the late 1930s, and

by 1942, one of his songs, “You’ve Changed,” was recorded by Billy

Holiday and by Ella Fitzgerald performing with Count Basie.

In 1942, Mr. Carey met Leona Olsen while he was stationed in New

Jersey. Leona sang and danced in New York clubs. They were married

and returned to Hollywood.

In 1946, they had their first son, Tod. In 1951, Leona gave birth

to their second son, Robert. Hours later, Leona died at 35. Mr. Carey

and his mother, Velma, raised the two boys until 1953, when Mr. Carey

was re-married to Ruth Hill Gibian, who had two sons, Chuck and Kim,

from a previous marriage. While working for Technicolor Studios, Mr.

Carey wrote songs on the side. In 1960, the family moved from Encino

to Laguna Beach, where they lived for more than 50 years.

Mr. Carey’s singing and songwriting career slowly passed, and he

devoted his time to raising his family. Mr. Carey retired in 1979,

which allowed him to get on with more important things in life, such

as his golf.

Mr. Carey is survived by his wife, Ruth Carey; sons Tod and Robert

Carey; stepsons Kim and Chuck Gibian; grandsons Brook Carey, Reed and

Nicholas Gibian; and great-granddaughter Krista Carey.