Song:Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat
Album:The Aristocats: The Legacy Collection
Benjamin "Scatman" Crothers had a long career in music before he got into acting. The 1970 Disney film The Aristocats established him and led to better known work in TV and films. He was born Jan. 23, 1910 in Terre Haute, IN. His work at a Dayton, OH radio station got him the Scatman nickname. In music, he is probably best known for his time in the 40s with Slim Gaillard. Crothers moved to Los Angeles in 1953 and had small roles in films until he appeared in The Aristocats. The original plan was for Louis Armstrong to voice Scat Cat. But he was forced to back out due to illness. Phil Harris recommended Crothers for the role. The score for The Aristocats was composed by Disney veteran George Bruns who went for more of a jazz vibe than we usually hear in Disney films. There were no hit singles from The Aristocats but Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat is probably the best known song from the film. The song was written by veteran songwriters Floyd Huddleston and Al Rinker. It's a group song with Crothers, Phil Harris, veteran voice artist Thurl Ravenscroft, Disney regular Robie Lester and Liz English. Recently Disney has released several soundtracks as The Legacy Collection. The Aristocats is 2CDs with bonus tracks and it's available at a budget price. Crothers' appearance led to his role on the TV series Chico and the Man. And later on the film The Shining which he got because he was pals with Jack Nicholson. Scatman Crothers was a heavy smoker and he died of lung cancer on Nov. 22, 1986 at age 76. Here's the video of Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat by Scatman Crothers with Phil Harris, Thurl Ravenscoft, Robie Lester and Liz English.
I still remember him on Chico and the Man. He was a favorite of mine. Good man, sorry he did not get more roles acting. He was great in the Shinning, I am glad he got that role. Very likable character and person.
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