Campbell, Norman, 1924-2004

Campbell, Norman, 1924-2004

Norman Kenneth Campbell, composer, director and producer, was born in Los Angeles, California on 4 February 1924. He was raised in Vancouver, British Columbia where he attended the University of British Columbia, earning a degree in mathematics and physics. After graduation, Campbell was hired by Canada's meteorological service, but left in 1948 to join CBC Radio Vancouver where he was a director of variety programs. Campbell also composed music, including the signature song for the "Juliette show." In 1952, Campbell joined CBC Television as a director and producer and is credited with the CBC's first broadcast, a program entitled "Let's see." While Campbell worked in many genres, his specialty was comedy, musicals and the performing arts. He was responsible for the broadcast of ballets, operas, and other stage productions, including performances from the Stratford Festival. In addition, Campbell worked on projects for American television, such as performance specials for entertainers like Diana Ross and Frank Sinatra and sitcoms like "All in the family" and "The Mary Tyler Moore show." Campbell is, perhaps, best known for composing the music for "Anne of Green Gables : the musical," which is still performed at the Charlottetown Festival in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Campbell's work was recognized nationally and internationally, winning a Gemini for "The pirates of Penzance" (1986), two international Emmys for "Cinderella" [ballet] (1965) and "Sleeping Beauty" [ballet] (1972), and the Prix René Barthélemy (Monte Carlo International Television Festival) for "Romeo and Juliette" [ballet] (1966). His contributions to arts in Canada were also recognized where he was named a member of the Royal Canadian Academy in 1975 and he received the Order of Canada in 1979. Norman Campbell died of a stroke on 12 April 2004 in Toronto, Ontario.