René DeKnight (December 5, 1913 – January 24, 2004) was an American pianist, composer and arranger.
They appeared in numerous films, including So's Your Uncle (1943), Crazy House (1943), Hi, Good Lookin'!
[5] DeKnight also wrote songs for the group and backed Ella Fitzgerald on piano.
[6] Later in 1963, DeKnight married jazz singer Sallie Blair in Honolulu where he was heading his own trio.
He played a major part in shaping the groups sound by adding jazz elements to their music.