Born Vincent Anthony Guaraldi in San Francisco, CA. He wore horn-rim glasses and a handlebar mustache. He started out playing boogie-woogie piano. "Jimmy Yancy was a great early influence on my playing. Also Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson, but it was Yancy's way of handling the blues that really grabbed me." His youth is full of work at legendary (and lamented) clubs in the San Francisco Bay area. As a young man he got a job playing at intermissions during Art Tatum gigs at the Black Hawk. "It was more than scary. I came close to giving up the instrument, and I wouldn't have been the first after working around Tatum." Later he got a steady job at the hungry i, fronting a trio. He spent some time on the road, first with Woody Herman, then with Cal Tjader. In 1956, he was the pianist on the Columbia Records demo recordings of singer Johnny Mathis. He sold almost 500,000 copies of a little tune called "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" from a soundtrack album he made called Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus. The single's title was several times larger than the album's on the cover. In 1963, Lee Mendelson had just signed to produce the first "Peanuts" TV special when he was driving through San Francisco. "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" came on the radio, and Mendelson knew he'd found the composer for the show. He found out that Guaraldi was a San Francisco native, tracked him down and signed him. Although "It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown" (1976) (TV) was the last Peanuts special he scored before his death, the seven Peanuts specials, movies and TV series that followed also have scores based on his Peanuts themes. His music became among the best-known and best-loved in all of jazz, but he lost any chance he had to get any professional respect. Who needs respect? Well, that is a spiritual matter, and it is important. A man who has perfected his craft and done good work should be able to see the fruits of his labors. The perfection of his craft should be recognized. But Vince Guaraldi played "West Coast jazz." Too easygoing. No dissonance. No dares. No chances. No excitement. Ear candy for the Eisenhower years. Anyone who appreciates jazz piano will immediately recognize the understated artistry of Guaraldi's playing. And if he can't bring a smile to your face with "Linus and Lucy," you need to add something other than black turtlenecks to your wardrobe.  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Original Song Score) 1970: A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN (w. Rod McKuen, John Scott Trotter, Bill Melendez & Al Shean) 1 nomination