Hugh Prince

Hugh Durham Prince, also known as Hughie Prince, (9 August 1906 – 15 January 1960) was an American film composer and songwriter. He composed "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" with lyricist Don Raye for the movie comedy, Buck Privates, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song in 1942. Hugh Prince was born in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. In 1920 he was living with his parents on Westover Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia. His father died in 1921 and by the 1930s Prince was living with his mother in Queens in New York where he worked as a stage actor. During the 1940s, Prince and his mother were living in New York City where he worked as a songwriter in the music industry.

His music was used in more than 56 film and television productions. From 1940, he composed film music, starting with "Hit the Road" and "Rhumboogie" for the film Argentine Nights. In 1940, Prince and Don Raye wrote the song "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", sung by the Andrews Sisters, in the 1941 film comedy, Buck Privates, with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in the lead roles and gaining as Oscar nomination in the Best Song category. However, the statue went to Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II for their song "The Last Time I Saw Paris" from the film musical Lady Be Good. Prince had a small role as Henry in Buck Privates. "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" remained the most successful song by Prince and, even after his death, it was used in feature films, television productions and shows. He wrote additional music for The Girl from Nantucket, and composed the score, wrote the lyrics and the script and directed the film drama The Strip Tease Murder Case in 1950.

Prince died in New York, United States in 1960, aged 53, and was buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Rutland County in Vermont.