Inspired by a picture of an antique trolley car from the Beverly Hills Library, Hugh Martin created the beloved show tune, The Trolley Song. The Trolley Song was featured in the 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis sung by vocal powerhouse, Judy Garland; and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
A talented lyricist, vocals arranger and coach, Martin has also written beloved songs The Boy Next Door and Pass That Peace Pipe, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song from the 1947 movie Good News. He has received four Tony Award nominations, three for High Spirits (Best Musical, Best Book Author of a Musical, Best Composer and Lyricist) and one for the 1990 Meet Me in St. Louis (Best Original Score).
But perhaps his best known and highly recorded song is Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. This seasonal classic has been recorded by over five hundred artists including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Judy Garland, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, The Jackson Five, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Lou Rawls and many, many more. It is widely considered one of the greatest Christmas songs of all time.