Margo Johnson Sievers
Educator
Great-niece of Leroy Shields
Famous Iowans??? How about LeRoy Bernard Shields! Never heard of him? Well, if you have listened to the music that played during the Our Gang/Little Rascals movies or the Laurel and Hardy movies, then you have heard his music.
LeRoy was the son of Patrick and Ida Maud (Cady) Shields. He was born in 1893 in Waseca, MN. He was the oldest of their five children His father, Patrick, was a railroad conductor, and his mother, Ida Maud, gave piano lessons. Around 1907 they relocated their family to Belle Plaine, Iowa. It was a very busy railroad town on the Chicago-Northwestern Railroad line.
At a very early age, he had shown extraordinary talent for music. His mother had given him lessons, and his adeptness only grew. She bagan teaching him around five years old, and he quickly advanced from these beginning lessons. The Shields family converted part of their home into a music studio, so that LeRoy could have space to write and arrange his own music.
He graduated from Belle Plaine High School around 1910, and then he left to attend the Columbia College of Music in Chicago. As a young musician, he found the world a quickly changing place. The phonograph market was taking off and the "talkies" changed the way people saw their movies. In the 1920s, LeRoy landed a job with the Victor Talking Machine Company. He became Conductor of the Repertoire and served as conductor and musical director for many years.
In 1929 he went to Hollywood to work with movie Producer, Hal Roach. There he was to help Roach convert his studio to sound. LeRoy began to edit musical scores for the Roach company, but soon was asked to compose his own. He had a fast-paced, lively sound that became quite popular. While with the Roach Studios, he composed hundreds of scores, and was in charge of recording background music for many comedy films. These popular tunes can be heard on Laurel and Hardy films, Our Gang and the Little Rascals films. LeRoy's musical scores were rarely credited, as was the custom at that time. They were listed as Hal Roach Studios.
By 1931 LeRoy was appointed to the NBC (National Broadcasting Company) Central Division in Chicago. There he arranged music, wrote symphonic pieces for dramas, led his orchestra in several musical radio shows. He also appeared in a black and white comedy film called "Let's Do It Right"
LeRoy relocated to New York in 1945 to become the conductor on NBC's orchestra section. It was through this association that he met and worked closely with Arturo Toscanini.
In 1955 LeRoy retired to Florida where he and his wife, Kay, lived for seven years. LeRoy passed away in 1962.
Educator
Great-niece of Leroy Shields
Famous Iowans??? How about LeRoy Bernard Shields! Never heard of him? Well, if you have listened to the music that played during the Our Gang/Little Rascals movies or the Laurel and Hardy movies, then you have heard his music.
LeRoy was the son of Patrick and Ida Maud (Cady) Shields. He was born in 1893 in Waseca, MN. He was the oldest of their five children His father, Patrick, was a railroad conductor, and his mother, Ida Maud, gave piano lessons. Around 1907 they relocated their family to Belle Plaine, Iowa. It was a very busy railroad town on the Chicago-Northwestern Railroad line.
At a very early age, he had shown extraordinary talent for music. His mother had given him lessons, and his adeptness only grew. She bagan teaching him around five years old, and he quickly advanced from these beginning lessons. The Shields family converted part of their home into a music studio, so that LeRoy could have space to write and arrange his own music.
He graduated from Belle Plaine High School around 1910, and then he left to attend the Columbia College of Music in Chicago. As a young musician, he found the world a quickly changing place. The phonograph market was taking off and the "talkies" changed the way people saw their movies. In the 1920s, LeRoy landed a job with the Victor Talking Machine Company. He became Conductor of the Repertoire and served as conductor and musical director for many years.
In 1929 he went to Hollywood to work with movie Producer, Hal Roach. There he was to help Roach convert his studio to sound. LeRoy began to edit musical scores for the Roach company, but soon was asked to compose his own. He had a fast-paced, lively sound that became quite popular. While with the Roach Studios, he composed hundreds of scores, and was in charge of recording background music for many comedy films. These popular tunes can be heard on Laurel and Hardy films, Our Gang and the Little Rascals films. LeRoy's musical scores were rarely credited, as was the custom at that time. They were listed as Hal Roach Studios.
By 1931 LeRoy was appointed to the NBC (National Broadcasting Company) Central Division in Chicago. There he arranged music, wrote symphonic pieces for dramas, led his orchestra in several musical radio shows. He also appeared in a black and white comedy film called "Let's Do It Right"
LeRoy relocated to New York in 1945 to become the conductor on NBC's orchestra section. It was through this association that he met and worked closely with Arturo Toscanini.
In 1955 LeRoy retired to Florida where he and his wife, Kay, lived for seven years. LeRoy passed away in 1962.