Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb ( born April 8, 1928 in New York City; † September 11, 2004 ) was an American songwriter and musical lyricist. His most famous creations are the musical theater and the text of New York, New York.
Life
Ebb, who from his year of birth a secret made later - when he died in 2004 aged 76 years was by his relatives stated - was from Manhattan and graduated from New York's Columbia University, a master's degree in English Literature before 1950 in the years began to write for smaller vaudeville and night club shows, initially with moderate to little success. Only when he in 1961 the composer John Kander met, he had found the right partner for his ideas. First songs they wrote together, My Coloring Book were and I do not care much, which were later recorded by Barbra Streisand.
Together with John Kander Ebb wrote the lyrics to a total of eleven Broadway musicals. The first commitment they received from Broadway producer Harold Prince for the musical Flora, the Red Menace, with Liza Minnelli in the title role. For Liza Minnelli began their great international career and she received a Tony Award for this show.
In 1966 they created their most successful work to date: Cabaret. The musical ran 1,166 performances of uninterrupted on Broadway and won eight Tony Awards. In this stage version of the story to Miss Schneider, played by Lotte Lenya concentrated. With the resulting 1972 Hollywood film then won an Oscar Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles.
Kander & Ebb then continued to write lyrics and Personality specials for Liza Minnelli, such as the Emmy Award - winning show Liza with a Z ( 1972), The Act (1977) and Minnelli on Minnelli ( 2001). In Minnelli's wedding with Jack Hayley 1974 Ebb was her bride's father. In addition Ebb worked in a similar way for Shirley Bassey and Frank Sinatra, for his comeback show Ol'Blue Eyes Is Back (1973 ), he designed the complete script.
From his many years of work for Liza Minnelli also be well -known song came out - the text of a classic Theme from New York, New York, he in 1977 to music by John Kander for the resulting directed by Martin Scorsese film New York, New York wrote and which was interpreted there by Minnelli first time. Later Frank Sinatra then made this song to his hymn.
In the 1980s, Fred Ebb had, again with music by Kander, great success with the play Woman of the Year, a special with Lauren Bacall in the lead role, which was four Tony Awards win. Another phenomenal success was the Kander - Ebb musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, the title role in the 1993 won seven Tony Awards with Chita Rivera and was nominated for four more.
Recently he made in 2002 attracted attention to Kander page with the film adaptation of the musical Chicago and was nominated the following year for an Oscar. He wrote the lyrics for the stage version, which under the direction of Bob Fosse had its premiere in 1975 and was honored with six Tony Awards.
2004 Fred Ebb had a heart attack from which he never recovered and its consequences, he died on September 11.