Buddy Pepper, composer and actor, is dead at 70 Associated Press LOS ANGELES - Buddy Pepper, a La Grange, Ky., native who was an actor in radio, vaudeville and films and later became a Hollywood composer and accompanist for Judy Garland Marlene Dietrich, has died of heart failure. He was 70. Pepper died Sunday at his home in Sherman Oaks, according to a statement from his friend and collaborator, Frank M. Chapman. More than 500 versions have been recorded of one of his most popular songs, s, "Vaya con Dios," penned with collaborator Inez James. Pepper was born Jack R. Starkey on April 21, 1922, and debuted on the radio as pianist, singer and actor at age 5. He won a Major Bowes Amateur Hour national radio contest at 13 and went into vaudeville. He was dubbed "Little Buddy Pepper" while playing the younger brother of actor Jack Pepper as a singer and dancer in the BroadwayHollywood musical comedy revue. In films he appeared in "Seven- teen," with Jackie Cooper; "The Reluctant Dragon," with Robert Benchley; "Golden Hoofs" and "Small Town Deb," with Jane Withers; and "Men of Boystown," with Spencer Tracy. After serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II, Pepper was a composer and lyricist for Universal Studios, contributing songs for such movies as "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," "Top Man," "This is the Life" and "The Hucksters." Pepper's film title songs included "Pillow Talk" for the Rock HudsonDoris Day picture and "Portrait in Black," which starred Lana Turner and Anthony Quinn. His song credits included "'Don't Tell Me," "Nobody but You," "What Good Would it Do?," "Ol' Saint Nicholas," "Sorry" and "Now You've Gone and Hurt My Southern Pride." Pepper is survived by cousins Hazel Trummel of Louisville and C. Rowan Potts of Rocky River, Colo.