André Previn
A musical polymath who conquered Hollywood scoring, jazz piano, and the world's great orchestras with equal parts brilliance and restless curiosity.
1929–2019 (age 90)·American musician·Birthday: April 6·The Silent Generation
Biography
André Previn lived several magnificent musical lives in one. Born in Berlin, he fled the Nazis and found his first fame in the Hollywood studios, where his nimble talents won him four Academy Awards for adapting and conducting scores while he was still in his twenties. Bored by mere success, he then pivoted, diving headlong into jazz, where his piano collaborations with stars like Ella Fitzgerald revealed a dazzling improvisational wit. Still unsatisfied, he took on the classical establishment, becoming a telegenic, sometimes controversial conductor for the London Symphony Orchestra and later the Pittsburgh Symphony, demystifying music for television audiences. In his final decades, he focused on composition, producing operas, concertos, and song cycles. Previn's legacy is that of a boundless musical intellect who refused to be categorized, moving between genres with a fluency that reshaped what a modern musician could be.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
André was born in 1929, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When André Was Born
The biggest hits of 1929
#1 Movie
The Broadway Melody
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody
André's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1929Born
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1934Started school
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1942Became a teenager
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Could drive
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1947Could vote
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Turned 21
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Turned 30
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 40
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 50
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 60
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 70
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 80
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Died at 90
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
Key Achievements
- Won four Academy Awards for his musical work on films like 'Gigi' and 'Porgy and Bess.'
- Served as the Principal Conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra from 1968 to 1979.
- Composed a wide body of classical work, including an opera based on 'A Streetcar Named Desire.'
- Recorded acclaimed jazz albums with artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Shelly Manne.
Did You Know?
He was married five times; one of his wives was actress Mia Farrow.
He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1943 while serving in the U.S. Army.
He was a frequent guest on BBC television shows like 'Morecambe and Wise,' where his comedic timing was as sharp as his musical skills.
“I've conducted all over the world, and I can tell you, there's no such thing as a funny orchestra.”
