Frank DeVol
West Virginia Music Hall of Fame – Class of 2009
HERE’S A STORY…
By the time acclaimed composer, arranger, and conductor Frank DeVol began work on the piece of music that would make him a household name, he was 58 years old and had been a member of the Musicians Union for 44 years. It was the spring of 1969.
A native of Marshall County, West Virginia, DeVol had already built a versatile, 30‑year career. In the 1940s, he was one of the busiest arrangers in the business, working with artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Doris Day and Dinah Shore.
In 1954, film director Robert Aldrich hired him to score a low‑budget picture. To everyone’s surprise, DeVol’s first film score earned an Academy Award nomination. He would go on to receive five Oscar nominations for scoring and songwriting.
By the early 1960s, DeVol transitioned from film to television, composing memorable themes and incidental music for shows including The Love Boat, Family Affair, The Smith Family and My Three Sons. One theme, however, would eclipse all others — though DeVol often said it was his least favorite composition.
The Brady Bunch
When DeVol first saw the lyric sheet for a new sitcom in 1969, he found the wording awkward and stilted. But the lyrics were written by the show’s producer, Sherwood Schwartz, who had also penned the theme for Gilligan’s Island, so DeVol had no choice but to work with them.
With reluctance, he began composing “The Theme to The Brady Bunch.” He later bragged that he finished the piece in just a few hours — and in that short time created one of the most recognizable TV themes in history. Though he disliked the song, he never complained about the residuals that poured in once the show entered syndication.
Beginnings
Frank Denny DeVol was born Sept. 20, 1911, in Moundsville, West Virginia. His mother, Minni, was a seamstress, and his father, Herman Frank, worked as an accountant — though his true passion was music. In 1913, Herman moved the family to Canton, Ohio, to become bandleader at the Palace Theatre.
At 14, Frank joined the musicians union and became a member of his father’s band. He credited his musical versatility to those years accompanying silent films and performing for vaudeville acts.
At 16, his father assigned him arranging duties. DeVol mastered the craft quickly, and by the late 1930s he was arranging for the nationally popular Horace Heidt Orchestra.
Arranger
In the early 1940s, after relocating to California, DeVol led the band at KHJ radio. He was soon hired by the Mutual Radio Network as musical director and on‑air bandleader, working with Rudy Vallee, Dinah Shore, Jack Carson and Peggy Lee.
His reputation grew rapidly. DeVol’s most famous arrangement is the haunting string and piano setting for Nat King Cole’s 1948 No. 1 hit “Nature Boy.”
Music for Movies
DeVol’s first film score — World for Ransom (1954) — earned an Oscar nomination. He went on to score 16 Aldrich films, including The Dirty Dozen, The Longest Yard, The Flight of the Phoenix, Hustle, McLintock!, Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? and Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), which earned him another nomination.
He also received Academy Award nominations for:
• Pillow Talk (1959)
• Cat Ballou (1965)
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
In total, DeVol composed scores for 52 motion pictures. In an interview with The Guardian, he explained his work ethic: “I make a chart. If I’m scoring a picture and I know I’ve got to write 85 minutes of music in 15 days, that means I’ve got to produce five to six minutes a day. This way I don’t dawdle along.”
Music for Television
While The Brady Bunch theme is his most widely recognized TV work, many musicians argue that his finest television composition is the theme for My Three Sons. Lawrence Welk released a version in 1961 that charted nationally.
Acting Roles
Beginning in the late 1950s, DeVol appeared in more than three dozen sitcoms, often playing quirky supporting characters with dry humor. His recurring roles included Fernwood 2 Night, One Day at a Time, Love, American Style and Get Smart. He even appeared on The Brady Bunch, playing saxophone and helping the kids stage a talent show.
Personal Life and Final Days
DeVol married Grayce McGinty in 1935; they remained married for more than 50 years and had two daughters. His second marriage, to actress and singer Helen O’Connell, lasted from 1991 until her death in 1993.
In 1962, he became an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia’s Gamma Omega chapter, a distinction he cherished. Into his eighties, he remained active in the Big Band Academy of America.
DeVol was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
He died of congestive heart failure Oct. 27, 1999, in Lafayette, California, and is buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood.
Recommended Listening
• “Nature Boy” – Nat King Cole (1948)
DeVol’s arrangement surrounds Cole’s voice with lush strings and subtle horn flourishes, revealing the song’s natural elegance.
• “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” – Doris Day (1956)
Featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, DeVol’s light, fanciful arrangement helped make the song a cultural touchstone.
• “Theme From The Brady Bunch” – Schwartz & DeVol
One of television’s most iconic theme songs.
• “Theme From My Three Sons”
DeVol’s personal favorite, blending jazz, marimba, salsa and even snippets of “Chopsticks.”
Sources
• The Repository (Canton, Ohio). “DeVol,” 1999.
• The Guardian. “Frank DeVol: Obituary,” 1999.
• The New York Times. “Frank DeVol,” October 1999.
• Wikipedia: “Frank DeVol”; “Robert Aldrich.”
• West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
Photo Sources
Frank DeVol Collection — Photos 1 & 2 from the DeVol archive; “Portraits,” Discogs.
Carol Channing & Rosemary Clooney — DeVol with Channing and Clooney, 1955; Retrovision Milesons.
WV Music Hall of Fame — Color portrait of DeVol.
Tony Bennett & Frank DeVol — From The Complete Frank DeVol Sessions, Columbia Records.
Fernwood Tonight — DeVol with Martin Mull and Fred Willard on the cult TV series; IMDb.
Margaret Whiting — DeVol at the piano with Whiting; DeVol Collection.
“Brady Bunch” Theme & “My Three Sons” Theme — YouTube sources.
“The Dirty Dozen” & “The Happening” — IMDb listings.
Signed DeVol Portrait — B&W autographed photo; The Canton, OH Repository.
