Mitchell Ayres

American orchestra leader, music arranger, composer and performer. Born December 24, 1909 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Died September 5, 1969 (aged 59) in Winchester, Nevada. He is best known for his many years of work with Perry Como on radio, records, and TV and as the musical conductor for The Hollywood Palace. He charted three times with his group "Fashions in Music" and twice as a songwriter. In 1940 Mitchell Ayres and His Fashions in Music hit #1 with "Make-Believe Island". His song "Fifteen Years (And I'm Still Serving Time)" (co-written with Allan Roberts, Pearl Bailey, & Doris Fisher) hit #4 on the R&B charts in 1945 by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra and reached the same number in 1946 by Pearl Bailey.