Born in Cleveland, Ohio, but brought up in Pennsylvania, where he played the flute in a local band, as a youth, before sending some arrangements to 'Benny Goodman .
Father, with Ginny Mancini , of twin daughters: singer Monica Mancini , Felice Mancini (head of Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation) and son Chris Mancini.
No less prolific a recording artist than he was a film/TV composer, his many albums, mostly for RCA, sold in the millions, and included: "Music from Peter Gunn" , "Music from Mr. Lucky" and "The Mancini Touch" , "Combo" and "Mr. Lucky Goes Latin" , "Breakfast at Tiffanys" , "Our Man in Hollywood" and "Charade" , "The Concert Sound of Henry Mancini", "The Best of Mancini" and "The Pink Panther" , "The Second Time Around and Other Favorites" , "Mancini 67" and "Encore!: More of the Concert Sound of Henry Mancini" , "A Warm Shade of Ivory" , "Six Hours Past Sunset" , and "Big Screen - Little Screen". He also had a Number 1 single with "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" in 1969.
For Hatari! , he wrote a brief piece of incidental music to accompany a scene where a baby elephant is taken for a walk. To Mancinis astonishment, it became an international hit as "Baby Elephant Walk," and was re-recorded by a large number of artists and in many styles.
Pictured on a 37 USA commemorative stamp issued in his honor, 13 April 2004. The titles of the following films and TV shows, for which Mancini wrote the score and/or songs, are listed on the stamp: Breakfast at Tiffanys ; Days of Wine and Roses ; Charade ; "Peter Gunn" ; The Pink Panther ; Two for the Road ; Touch of Evil ; Hatari! ; The Great Race ; Experiment in Terror ; Victor Victoria ; Dear Heart and "The Thorn Birds" . The Pink Panther cartoon character is in the lower left corner, pointing to Mancini.
Was reassigned to the band unit shortly after he joined the U.S. Army in World War II. This actually saved his life, as the unit to which hed originally been assigned was wiped out to a man in the Battle of the Bulge.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
Composed a full score for Alfred Hitchcocks "Frenzy", but it was replaced in its entirety by a new score composed by Ron Goodwin.
With the new technology that keeps entering the media, film composers are constantly being placed in new learning situations. Acknowledging this and realizing that one must keep up, I maintain, nonetheless, that the real creative power is in the mind and heart of the composer. .
