Carl Stalling was born in Lexington, Missouri in 1888. Like Schroeder from Peanuts, he first started to learn music by playing on a toy piano. By the time he was twenty, Stalling was playing music for silent films in local theaters. In the 1920's, Stalling moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he was the leader of his own orchestra. His first job in animation was working for Walt Disney (whom he met in Kansas City). He even did the voice for Mickey Mouse in one animated short.
Stalling left Disney for good in 1930 and eventually joined Warner Bros. in 1936. While at Warner Bros., he composed the scores for over 600 films. He retired in 1958 and was replaced by his long-time assistant Milt Franklyn.
Carl Stalling died on November 29, 1974.