Ray Evans

Lyricist (1915 - 2007).  Born in Salamanca.  Evans, the son of a Salamanca scrap paper dealer, teamed almost exclusively throughout his career with composer Jay Livingston (born Jacob Levison in Pittsburgh, 1915, died 2001).  The team concentrated primarily on songs for movies; some of them became extraordinarily popular, mostly during the 1940s, 1950s, and early 1960s.  Familiar songs with words by Evans include "Buttons & Bows", "Mona Lisa", "Silver Bells", "Que Será, Será", "Tammy", "To Each His Own" (all with Livingston) and "Dear Heart" (composed by Henry Mancini).

Livingston & Evans also wrote for television, including the distinctive theme for the series "Mr. Ed".

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