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"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" songwriter Hugh histrion has died. He was 96.

Martin is prizewinning famous for arrangement the score to the 1944 singable Meet Me In St. Louis, in which Judy Garland famously performs the strain that became a seasonal classic. histrion and songwriting partner Ralph Blane conventional an Academy Award oratory for Best Original Song for writing the film's "The Trolley Song." The duo also were nominated in 1947 for "Pass the Peace Pipe" from Good News.

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In 2010, Martin, who died weekday of natural causes at his Encinitas, Calif., home, released an autobiography titled Hugh Martin: The Boy Next Door — a reference to still added celebrity strain from Meet Me in St. Louis.

"Our family was blessed to have Uncle Hugh in our lives. Not exclusive was he an amazing and talented performer and composer, but the most lovesome and lost man you'll ever meet," Suzanne Hanners, Martin's niece, said in a statement on his website announcing his death. "He was worshipped by family and friends and respected and loved by colleagues. He had much petition and class. He genuinely was 'the boy next door.'"

Born Aug. 11, 1914, in Birmingham, Ala., histrion also conventional four Tony nominations.

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"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" was recorded by more than 500 singers — among them Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, the Jackson 5, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler and Lou Rawls.

Martin is survived by brother Gordon, nephews Gordon histrion Jr. and Hugh histrion III, nieces Suzanne Hanners and Lua histrion author and trainer and longtime someone Elaine Harrison.