Murray Wizell

Music publisher and songwriter (born June 10, 1907 in Warsaw, Poland – died December 27, 1961 in New York, NY, USA) Born in Poland, Wizel immigrated to the United States with his widowed father Sam and four siblings in 1913. They became naturalized citizens in November 1927. Wizell worked for several music publishers, including Mills Music (1940), Famous-Paramount (1947), and Porgie Music, before he founded his own publishing firm, Murray Wizell Mus. Co. Inc. a.k.a. Murray Wizell Music in September 1948, initially with Joe Davis (4) as majority partner. In April 1951, he changed the name of his company from Murray Wizell Mus. Co. Inc. to Celebrity Music Inc. In April 1952, he joined with Robert Day and Maurice Silberman to found Wizell & Day Music in New York City (the company was deactivated in Nov. 1956). Wizell died in a fire in his hotel room in the Mayflower Hotel when he fell asleep while smoking. Best-known for "I May Never Pass This Way Again" (with Irving Melsher) and "Gently" (with Edward Lisbona).