James Lord Pierpont

American songwriter and composer

James Lord Pierpont (April 25, 1822 – August 5, 1893) was an American songwriter, arranger, organist, Confederate States soldier, and composer. Pierpont wrote and composed "Jingle Bells" in 1857, originally titled "The One Horse Open Sleigh". He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and died in Winter Haven, Florida. Although Pierpont is obscure today, his composition "Jingle Bells" has become synonymous with the Christmas holiday and is one of the most performed and most recognizable songs in the world.

From 1890 to 1954, "Jingle Bells" was in the top 25 of the most recorded songs in history, beating out "My Old Kentucky Home", "The Stars and Stripes Forever", "Blue Skies", "I Got Rhythm" and "Georgia on My Mind". In recognition of the universal success of his composition, Pierpont was elected into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970. In 1997, a James Lord Pierpont Music Scholarship Fund was established at Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Jingle All the Way (1996) references "Jingle Bells". "Jingle Bell Rock" references "Jingle Bells". "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)" by Nat King Cole quotes from "Jingle Bells" at the close of the song. "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" performed live by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band quotes the melody from "Jingle Bells" at the close. In the 1975 movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest starring Jack Nicholson, an instrumental version of "Jingle Bells" is played during the party scene. "White Christmas" recorded by The Drifters in 1954 features a snippet of "Jingle Bells" sung at the close of the song. "Jingle Bells" was the first song performed in space on December 16, 1965, when NASA astronauts Wally Schirra and Tom Stafford, aboard Gemini 6, played it on a harmonica and bells to Mission Control. Both instruments are displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.