Career
He is best known for the Doublemint gum jingle, "Double your pleasure, double your fun with Doublemint gum" a commercial he wrote for radio in the 1950s, that later ran on television Severson has been called "one of the most famous arrangers/composers you"ve never heard of". He performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and composed for a number of top advertising agencies.
Wherever he went Severson was involved in writing music
As a performer, he played trumpet or keyboards with various bands and orchestras in the 1950s and 1960s, including the Columbia Broadcasting System Chicago Staff Orchestra, the Stan Kenton Orchestra and the Chicago Civic Symphony. Severson also performed with jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Stan Getz.
Through the 1980s and 1990s Paul Severson was head of the Minnesota State University of Moorhead"s music industry program Back in Fargo in later years Paul Severson helped found several local jazz groups, arranged compositions for the Red River Dance and Performing Company and served as music director for Trollwood Performing Arts School.
All along, he mentored, encouraged and enlightened.
Severson composed music for a number of national commercials in the early 1990s. Bill Robinson, who headed the Mesa State Theater department from 1960 to 1988, also had an opportunity to work with Severson. Severson composed the music for the musical Princess, which Robinson produced.
"He was quite a jazz man," Robinson said.
"He was a very sweet man, truly a gentleman."
Paul Severson died on May 20, 2007, after a long struggle with prostate cancer.