Songwriter, author, director, lyricist, he began his career as an
illustrator. He wrote special material for Celeste Holm and Dwight
Fiske. He was a staff lyricist and later an editor for Golden Records.
He wrote the stage scores for "New Faces of 1956", "Once Upon a
Mattress", and "The Mad Show". Joining ASCAP in 1956, he collaborated
with Dean Fuller and Mary Rodgers. His popular-song compositions
include: "La Ronde (This Is Quite a Perfect Night)"; "Scratch My Back";
"Roller Coaster Blues"; "Intoxication"; "In a Little While"; "Shy";
"Normandy"; "Very Soft Shoes"; "Christmas Long Ago"; "Warm Winter"; and
"What'll I Do With All the Love I Was Savin' For You?"
In the 80s he lived in a loft in Venice, California. He could be
spotted traveling around town in a Mercedes which was made to look like
a patch quilt of denim, which even had a hanky in the back pocket!
Was nominated for Broadway's 1960 Tony Award for his lyrics and, in
collaboration with Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller, the book as parts of a Best
Musical nomination for "Once Upon a Mattress."