Richard Adler

Richard Adler (August 3, 1921 – June 21, 2012) was an American lyricist, writer, composer and producer of several Broadway shows. He is best known for his work with Jerry Ross on the musicals The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees (1955).

Life and career Adler was born in New York City, His mother was a debutante from Mobile, Alabama. Adler had a musical upbringing, his father being a renowned concert pianist, as well as teacher of such composers as Aaron Copland. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1943 and served in the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. which was recorded by Tony Bennett and reached No. 1 on the charts in late 1953.

At the same time Bennett's recording was topping the charts, Adler and Ross began their career in Broadway theater with John Murray Anderson's Almanac, a revue for which they provided most of the songs. in November 1955 at age 29.

Later work Adler continued to write both alone and with other partners, and composed a major 1958 hit in collaboration with Robert Allen: "Everybody Loves a Lover", as recorded by Doris Day. However, after 1955 Adler had no further successes on Broadway either as a composer or a producer, although revivals of The Pajama Game and Damn Yankees have proved popular. The 1973 revival of The Pajama Game included one new Adler song, which was retained for the 2006 revival.

His later musicals included Kwamina, which he wrote for his then-wife, Sally Ann Howes, who starred in the show opposite Terry Carter.

He is a member of the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Richard was a Democrat and, along with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman John Bailey, Lena Horne, Carol Lawrence, Sidney Salomon, Vice-Chairwoman of the DNC Margaret B. Price, and Secretary of the DNC Dorothy Vredenburgh Bush, visited John F. Kennedy at The White House on November 20, 1963, two days prior to his assassination.

Death Adler died on June 21, 2012, at his home in Southampton, New York, at age 90. He was survived by his third wife, Susan A. Ivory; his son, Andrew; his daughter, Katherine; and his stepson, Charlie Shipman.

Selected works Broadway and television work As composer/lyricist, unless otherwise noted: Stop the Music – Writer; series aired 1949 to 1956 John Murray Anderson's Almanac – Musical December 10, 1953 – June 26, 1954 (with Jerry Ross) The Pajama Game – Musical, Comedy May 13, 1954 – November 24, 1956 (with Jerry Ross) Damn Yankees – Musical, Comedy May 5, 1955 – October 12, 1957 (with Jerry Ross) The Sin of Pat Muldoon – Play March 13, 1957 – March 16, 1957 (Producer only – no music in play) Little Women - TV musical featuring Florence Henderson, Jeannie Carson, Zina Bethune, Margaret O'Brien, and Joel Grey. October 16, 1958 Gift of the Magi (musical) – TV musical featuring then wife Sally Ann Howes. December 9, 1958 Kwamina – Musical. Featured then-wife Sally Ann Howes. October 23, 1961 – November 18, 1961 A Mother's Kisses – September 21 to October 19, 1968 – three weeks of out-of-town tryouts in New Haven and Baltimore only. It was canceled before it reached Broadway. Featured Bea Arthur and Bernadette Peters Rex – Musical April 25, 1976 – June 5, 1976 (Producer only. Music by Richard Rogers, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick) Music Is – Musical comedy December 20, 1976 – December 26, 1976 (Composer only. Lyrics by Will Holt.) Fosse – Musical, Revue, Dance January 14, 1999 – August 25, 2001 (Includes Adler & Ross works originally written for Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game)

Broadway revivals The Pajama Game – December 9, 1973 – February 3, 1974 Damn Yankees – March 3, 1994 – August 6, 1995 The Pajama Game – February 23, 2006 – June 11, 2006 (starring Harry Connick Jr, Kelli O'Hara, Michael McKean)

Popular songs "Rags To Riches" (with Jerry Ross) "Hey, There" (with Jerry Ross) "Hernando's Hideaway" (with Jerry Ross) "Steam Heat" (with Jerry Ross) "Whatever Lola Wants" (with Jerry Ross) "Everybody Loves A Lover" (Words by Adler, music by Robert Allen) "Another Time, Another Place" (Words and music by Adler, from the 1961 musical Kwamina) "Heart" (with Jerry Ross) "I'm Not at All in Love" (with Jerry Ross)

Awards, nominations and honors Tony Awards 1955 Best Musical – The Pajama Game (music and lyrics) 1956 Best Musical – Damn Yankees (music and lyrics) 1962 Best Composer nomination – Kwamina (music) Four Pulitzer Nominations Two Donaldson Awards Two Variety Critics Awards London Evening Standard Award Colgate Distinguished Service Award Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984. National Park Service Honorary Ranger Award Emmy Award Southampton Cultural Center Achievement Award for Theater (1993) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lifetime Achievement Award ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award Honorary Doctorate in Music and Theater Wagner College

Autobiography