Justin Norbert "Judd" Conlon was an American musical arranger for Walt Disney. Among his credits are the Disney movies Bambi (1942), So Dear to My Heart (1948), The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953), and Babes in Toyland (1961).
He was born in Cuba City, Wisconsin, but relocated to Dubuque, Iowa, where he attended Columbia Academy and Columbia College. During this time, he performed in various musical groups in venues of stage and radio, before arranging work for Kay Kyser.
Conlon, a trained accordion player, vocal arranger and conductor, had an ambition to form his own vocal group. After his departure from Kyser, he formed The Rhythmaires in association with Bing Crosby as weekly vocalists for shows and later recordings. They would often be credited as The Jud Colon Singers or The Jud Colon Choir. Their first commercial recording with Crosby was "Ballerina" in 1947. Other notable recordings were "Home Cookin", "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo", "Teddy Bears' Picnic", "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas", "Zing a Little Zong", and "Road to Bali". He would continue to work with other known artists at the time, such as Andy Williams, Guy Lombardo, and Stan Freberg.
His vocal arrangements were used in the films Here Comes Elmer and It's Always Fair Weather, the special Bobby Darin and Friends, and The Judy Garland Show.
Conlon died on July 28, 1966 in Chicago at the age of 56. He was found dead in his Chicago hotel room of an apparent heart attack at the age of 56.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Bambi | Choral arrangements - uncredited |
| 1948 | So Dear to My Heart | Vocal arranger - uncredited |
| 1949 | The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad | Performer (as The Rhythmaires): "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | Vocal arranger |
| 1953 | Peter Pan | Vocal arranger Performer: (as the Jud Conlon Singers) |
| 1961 | Babes in Toyland | Music arranger |
