Al Rinker (December 20, 1907 – June 11, 1982) began performing as a partner with Bing Crosby in 1925 and the two singers formed the Rhythm Boys, which singer/songwriter/pianist Harry Barris later joined. Barris wrote the songs Mississippi Mud, I Surrender, Dear, and Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams among others. The singing trio worked with Paul Whiteman's Big Band in Los Angeles until Crosby dissolved the group to go solo, recording both with Whiteman and on their own with Barris on piano.The Rhythm Boys were filmed for the Paul Whiteman movie The King of Jazz (1930) singing Mississippi Mud, So the Bluebirds and the Blackbirds Got Together, I'm a Fisherman, Bench in the Park, and Happy Feet. According to a filmed interview of Rinker, Crosby performed the first two weeks on his first film while on daytime work release from jail after crashing his car into a telephone pole while driving drunk. After the Rhythm Boys broke up, they reunited only once, to appear together on the "Paul Whiteman Presents" radio broadcast on July 4, 1943.In 1952, a song for which Rinker wrote the lyrics, You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right, appeared in the film Push-Button Kitty and in the television series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. He also wrote the song Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat with the Sherman Brothers for the Disney animated children's movie The AristoCats (1970).Rinker's sister Mildred, under her married name of Mildred Bailey, became a well-known jazz singer after the Rhythm Boys arranged for Paul Whiteman to "discover" her singing at a party and hired her. She became the first woman to join a band as a full-time singer, as Crosby had been the first man to do so. Al's brother Charles was a lyricist who worked frequently with composer Gene de Paul.
His sister was the jazz singer Mildred Bailey, who was married at one time to Red Norvo.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me
2009
TV Movie documentary performer: "Happy Feet"
House of Mouse
TV Series lyrics - 1 episode, 2001 music - 1 episode, 2001
101 Dalmatians
1996
writer: "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat"
Disney Sing-Along-Songs: The Bare Necessities
1987
Video short lyrics: "Everybody wants to be a cat" / music: "Everybody wants to be a cat"
The AristoCats
1970
lyrics: "Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat" / music: "Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat"
Young at Heart
1954
writer: "Ready, Willing and Able" - uncredited
The Affairs of Dobie Gillis
1953
writer: "You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right" - uncredited
Push-Button Kitty
1952
Short writer: "You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right" - uncredited
The Sellout
1952
writer: "You Can't Do Wrong Doing Right" - uncredited
Sound Off
1952
music: "Home Sweet Home in the Army"
Hit Parade of 1951
1950
writer: "Square Dance Samba", "You're So Nice", "How Would I Know", "Wishes Come True", "A Very Happy Character", "You Don't Know the Other Side of Me"
Duchess of Idaho
1950
writer: "Let's Choo Choo Choo to Idaho", "You Can't Do Wrong Doin' Right", "Of All Things"