Henry Mancini Henry Mancini Enrico Nicola "Henry" Mancini (; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor and arranger, who is best remembered for his film and television scores. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and twenty Grammy Awards, plus a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. His best known works include the theme and soundtrack for the "Peter Gunn" television series as well as the music for "The Pink Panther" film series ("The Pink Panther Theme") and "Moon River" from "Breakfast
Henry Mancini at Tiffany's". The Music from Peter Gunn won the first Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Mancini also enjoyed a long collaboration composing film scores for the film director Blake Edwards. Mancini is also noted for scoring a #1 hit single during the rock era on the "Billboard" charts. "The Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" spent two weeks at the top, beginning on June 29, 1969. Mancini was born in the Little Italy neighborhood of Cleveland, and was raised near Pittsburgh, in the steel town of West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. His parents immigrated from the Abruzzo region of Italy.