Fred Ebb

Fred Ebb, a Tony Award-winning lyricist, died on Sept. 11 of a heart attack. He was believed to be 76.
A native New Yorker, Ebb attended New York University and Columbia University then broke into show business as a writer for nightclub acts and revues. Music publisher Tommy Valando paired him with composer John Kander in 1962 — an introduction that would spark a four-decade collaboration.
In 1965, producer Harold Prince and veteran director George Abbott hired Ebb and Kander to write the score for “Flora, the Red Menace.” The show was not a success, but it led to another gig — writing the lyrics and music for a musical called “Cabaret.” After opening in 1966, “Cabaret” ran for 1,165 performances. The songwriting duo won a Tony Award for the score; the original cast recording nabbed a Grammy; and the 1972 movie version netted eight Oscars.
Their work on “Chicago” received moderate acclaim when the show first ran on Broadway in 1975, but its revival 20 years later was a hit. “Chicago” is still running at the Ambassador Theatre and recently passed 3,250 performances. In 2003, the film adaptation won six Academy Awards, including best picture.
Ebb and Kander collaborated on nine other Broadway musicals, and scored Tonys for “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Woman of the Year.” They also composed the song, “New York, New York” for the 1977 Martin Scorsese film of the same name. The song became a standard after both Frank Sinatra and Liza Minelli recorded it.
Over the course of their careers, Ebb and Kander received numerous honors, including the Laurence Oliver Theatre Award and the Kennedy Center Honors. They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983. On Sept. 14, the lights on Broadway dimmed in Ebb’s honor.
• Listen to a Tribute From NPR
Download “All That Jazz” (From “Chicago”)
Download “New York, New York”
Download “Cabaret” (From “Cabaret”)