Hannah, Don, 1929-2008

Don Hannah was a composer, arranger and musician who resided in North Las Vegas for fifty-two years. He was born February 1, 1929 in Boise, Idaho, and died October 19, 2008 in North Las Vegas.

Hannah’s “Marble Game” was a High Fidelity contest winner in 1970; his piece “Spaces” was performed at the Kennedy Center and placed in a Bicentennial Time Capsule to be opened in 2076. Hannah came to Las Vegas in 1956, originally for a three-week job playing piano on his way to Los Angeles, but ended up staying in Las Vegas for the rest of his life. He played string bass and tuba in bands at the Sahara, Flamingo, Dunes and Caesars Palace. Hannah’s arrangements were tailored for many stars on the Strip including Barbra Streisand, Gladys Knight, Vic Damone, Diahann Carroll, Natalie Cole, Diana Ross, Ann Margret, the Osmonds, and Elvis.

Hannah served as adjunct professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he taught jazz composition and arranging.

Source:

“Hannah, Don.” Obituaries. 2008 October 22. Las Vegas Review-Journal.