Norman Gimbel was an American lyricist and songwriter, who, for Disney co-wrote the song "A Whale of a Tale" for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the songs from Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure. He was also one of the writers of the song "I Will Follow Him" from the Touchstone Pictures film Sister Act.
Gimbel was born on November 16, 1927 in Brooklyn, New York and self-taught himself in music before becoming a contract songwriter, where he co-wrote songs, like "Tennessee Wig Walk", "Sway", "Killing Me Softly With His Song", "I Got a Name", "The Girl from Ipanema", "Canadian Sunset", "Drinking Water", "Summer Samba", "Meditation", "I Will Wait For You", "Ricochet", "That Night", "Watch What Happens", "How Insensitive", "Love is a Feeling", "Ready To Take A Chance Again", "Girl", and "Only Love". His frequent collaborator was Charles Fox. Gimbel and Fox would later find success as composers for television shows, like Happy Days, Wonder Woman, The Bugaloos, Angie, and Laverne & Shirley ("Making Our Dream Come True").
Gimbel also co-wrote songs for films whether they were musicals or title songs, such as The Adventurers, Popi, A Place for Lovers, Once Before I Die, Killers Kiss, Meatballs, The Other Side of the Mountain, A Troll in Central Park, The Thief and the Cobbler, The Phantom Tollbooth, Where's Poppa?, Pufnstuf, and Norma Rae, where he and David Shire won the Academy Award for Best Original Song with "It Goes Like It Goes".
He died at the age of 91 on December 19, 2018.
