Milton DeLugg, born December 2, 1918 in Los Angeles, California is an American composer, arranger, and accordionist.
A talented accordionist, Milton appeared in short Soundies musicals and occasional movies such as 1949’s Jolson Sings Again. He quickly became a successful arranger and composer. His clients ranged from the American Junior Miss Pageant to Jackie Wilson. He was a musician on such radio programs as The Abe Burrows Show. One of his best-known tunes is an arrangement of the song “The Happy Wanderer”, and his brassy polka “Hoop Dee Doo” became a game-show staple.
Milton Delugg is also the musical director for the TV coverage of the annual Macy’s Day Parade which he has done for many years.
Milton Delugg is also the composer of “Hooray for Santy Claus”, the catchy theme song for the low-budget motion picture Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. He also composed “Roller Coaster” – recorded by Henri Rene Orchestra on RCA Victor. It was used as the opening and closing theme of “Masquerade Party” which was a popular quiz show in the early 1950s.
He is also known for serving as the bandleader for the infamous game show The Gong Show. After attending UCLA, he travelled to New York City to study under Tibor Serly; in 1938, DeLugg joined the Matty Malneck Orchestra as an accordionist, and following a stay with the Army Air Corps during World War II, he formed his own group.
Freelance television and radio projects yielded themes for everything from The Fred Allen Show to What’s My Line? to the Junior Miss pageant; a prolific composer, DeLugg also authored songs including “Hoop Dee Do,” “The Happy Wanderer,” “Just Another Polka” and “Orange Colored Sky.”
In 1964, he composed the score to the cult classic “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”, and following the 1966 departure of Skitch Henderson assumed bandleading duties on NBC’s The Tonight Show, only to be replaced a few months later by Doc Severinsen. He appeared on Chuck Barris’ 1970s favorite The Gong Show, where he and his group were dubbed “Milton Delugg and the Band with a Thug.”
In addition to composing music for a number of children’s records released through RCA and Golden Books, in 1967 DeLugg also issued the solo album Accordion My Way–Ole! an NBC late-night television program which has been considered a forerunner to The Tonight Show.
He often played a song he co-wrote, titled, “Orange Colored Sky”, which was best remembered as a hit for Nat King Cole. In 1950, DeLugg was also orchestra conductor for the short-lived Abe Burrows’ Almanac.His other popular-song and instrumental compositions include “Shanghai”, “Sailor Boys Have Talk to Me in English”, “My Lady Loves to Dance”, “Be My Life’s Companion”, “Wrong Wrong Wrong”, “Roller Coaster” (“What’s My Line” theme), “The Little White Horse”, “The Big Beat”, “Honolulu”, and “Gee I’m Glad I Married You”.
Milton said, ” I was under contract to King Records and they wanted an accordion album- 6 sides. On it was “Hoop-De-Doo” and “Roller Coaster” which was the theme for “What’s My Line” for twenty years. It put my kids through school.”
