Johnny Marks(1909-1985)

You may not know his name, at least not right away, but you've surely heard at least one of Johnny Marks's songs at Christmastime. The brother-in-law of Robert L. May, who wrote the original story of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," it was he who set the story to music. After failing to sell the song to, among others, Bing Crosby, Marks eventually found a enthusiastic listener in the person of singing cowboy Gene Autry. Autry's Columbia recording of the song, in 1947, became the biggest hit of his career and made both men (and May, who owned the rights to the original story) very wealthy.

Forming his own publishing company, St. Nicholas Music, shortly thereafter, Marks began turning out a series of Yuletide classics that have come to be beloved by many: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" (a beautiful setting of the Longfellow poem), "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," "Run, Rudolph, Run," "A-Caroling We Go," "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," and "Silver and Gold." The latter two were introduced in the classic 1964 TV special "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," for which Marks provided the score. He also wrote one non-Christmas song that's become a favorite, as well, "Anyone Can Move a Mountain."

Johnny Marks died in 1985 at the age of 75. As long as there are those who love Christmas, though, his name and songs will live forever.