Al Rinker

American jazz singer and composer. Born : December 20, 1907 in Tekoa, Washington State. Died : June 11, 1982 in Burbank, California. Began performing as a partner with Bing Crosby in 1925 and the two singers formed The Rhythm Boys, which singer/songwriter/pianist Harry Barris later joined. Barris wrote the songs Mississippi Mud, I Surrender, Dear, and Wrap Your Troubles in Dream among others. The singing trio worked with Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra in Los Angeles until Crosby dissolved the group to go solo, recording both with Whiteman and on their own with Barris on piano. The Rhythm Boys were filmed for the Paul Whiteman movie 'The King of Jazz' (1930) singing Mississippi Mud, So the Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together, I'm a Fisherman, Bench in the Park, and Happy Feet. After the breakup, they reunited only once, to appear together on the "Paul Whiteman Presents" radio broadcast on July 4, 1943. In 1952, a song for which Rinker wrote the lyrics, You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right, appeared in the film Push-Button Kitty and in the television series 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'. He also wrote the song Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat for the Disney cartoon children's movie The AristoCats (1970).