Tommie Wright
Tommie Wright (March 21, 1919 – May 8, 2014) was an American pianist, composer and professor best known for composing the Florida State Seminoles fight song.
Wright was a native of Indianapolis, Indiana and had a master's degree from Indiana University.[1] He worked for as a pianist for NBC, providing background music for radio soap operas, TV shows and composing jingles for radio advertising. He served in the air force during World War II and wrote a musical for entertainment for the soldiers, entitled "Forward March." He has also written a plethora of musical compositions, ranging from songs, to ballets, to solo piano works.
He was hired to teach music as a professor at Florida State University from 1949 to 2008.[2]
He taught there for years, teaching nearly 60,000 students. His music history course for non-majors was especially popular among students. He also started the Radio & Television department at Florida State. In August 2012, FSU presented Wright with an honorary doctorate.
Florida State Seminoles Fight Song[edit]
Wright wrote the song with Doug Alley (a student at the school) in 1950. Doug Alley original wrote the song as a poem and Wright added music to it. He conducted the Marching Chiefs for the first time at a game in 2008 [3]
Personal life and death[edit]
Wright was married for over 30 years to Rosalinda, head of the foreign languages department at Tallahassee Community College with whom he had 3 daughters. He had also three other daughters from previous marriages. Three of his children went on to pursue music in adulthood, one as a voice teacher, one as a pianist, and one as a broadway performer. He died in Tallahassee Memorial Hospital on May 8, 2014.
References[edit]
- ^ "Tommie Wright, author of FSU fight song, died Thursday night". Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ^ "Tommie Wright, author of FSU fight song, remembered as icon". Retrieved 14 May 2014.
- ^ "Professor Tommie Wright Helps the Alumni Association Make History". Retrieved 14 May 2014.