Born in Long Beach, California in 1930, Strange began his music career as a session guitarist in the 1950s before making a name for himself as a guitarist, songwriter, and arranger. He frequently collaborated on hits for Elvis Presley, such as “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” and “Clean Up Your Own Back Yard,” as well as the theme from the 1969 American Western film Charro! starring Presley. “A Little Less Conversation” originally appeared in the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little, which also starred Presley and for which Strange also composed the musical soundtrack. In 2001, the song was used in the hit heist film Ocean’s Eleven, inspiring a remix by Dutch musician Junkie XL. “A Little Less Conversation – JXL Radio Edit Remix” was officially released in 2002, becoming a worldwide hit that topped the singles charts in nine countries, including spending four consecutive weeks at #1 in the U.K.

As a composer, Strange also worked on the musical soundtrack for the 1969 Elvis film The Trouble with Girls, which featured the hit song “Clean Up Your Own Backyard.” Strange also co-wrote “Limbo Rock,” recorded by The Champs and Chubby Checker, which reached #2 on the Hot 100. In addition to his work as a songwriter, Strange played guitar with several major acts including the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole, and he can be heard on the themes for television shows, such as The Munsters (1964), Batman (1966), and Have Gun – Will Travel (1957). Strange also arranged and conducted several Nancy Sinatra albums, including arranging her single “These Boots Are Made for Walkin,” which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and UK Singles Chart. He was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame as a member of The Wrecking Crew in 2007.