Richard Hayman

• Born 27 March 1920, Cambridge, Massachussetts

Hayman started at 18 as a harmonica virtuoso in Borrah Minevitch's Harmonica Rascals, then went with Leo Diamond when Diamond left to form the Solidaires. He worked a variety of jobs, including assistant arranger on "Meet Me in St. Louis," arranger for Vaughn Monroe, and soloist with Horace Heidt before he won a contract under his own name with Mercury in 1950. Hayman's Mercury productions were dramatic and passionate, and often featured his harmonica work. He had several hit singles during this time, the most successful being his cover of "Ruby" from the movie, "Ruby Gentry."

After arranging and conducting a strings album with jazz saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Hayman dropped out of the recording scene for much of the 1960s, then reappeared on Command label late in its run, after Enoch Light had departed to found Project 3. The highlight of Hayman's Command days was the much-coveted early Moog album, The Genuine Electric Latin Love Machine. Much of his efforts were devoted to his work with the Boston Pops. He was the backbone of the Pops arranging staff, and he often served as a back-up conductor for Arthur Fiedler. He appeared annually as a featured conductor, usually bringing out his harmonica for one showcase number. He returned to recording in the 1970s, and a number of his later albums, featuring mostly light classical and popular orchestral works, are still available on CD.