Music arranger TORRIE ZITO, who provided the string orchestrations for John Lennon's album IMAGINE, has lost his battle with emphysema.
Zito died on Thursday (03Dec09) at his home in Manhattan, New York. He was 76.
After starting out as a jazz pianist, he found lasting success as an arranger and orchestrator.
He also worked with Perry Como on his 1966 album Lightly Latin, and arranged tunes for artists including Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin, Sinead O’Connor, Carly Simon, George Michael, Clay Aiken and Tony Bennett, with whom he toured for seven years through the 1960s and 70s.
Zito's work on Bennett's 2008 A Swingin’ Christmas album has been nominated for a Grammy Award.
He is survived by his wife, jazz singer Helen Merrill, a stepson, Alan, his brother, drummer Ronnie Zito, and a daughter, Lisa.