Ebb, Fred

▪ 2005

      American lyricist (b. April 8, 1928?, New York, N.Y.—d. Sept. 11, 2004, New York City), collaborated with composer John Kander for more than 40 years, and together they created enduring music for a number of classic Broadway shows. Kander and Ebb became legendary not only for such Tony Award-winning shows as Cabaret (1966), Woman of the Year (1981), and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993)—as well as Chicago (1975), whose 2002 film version won a best-picture Oscar—but also for their title song from the film New York, New York (1977), which became an anthem for its namesake city. Kander and Ebb teamed up in the early 1960s and soon had written their first hit song, “My Coloring Book.” Their first Broadway musical, Flora, the Red Menace (1965), marked the first of their many collaborations with Liza Minnelli and, though the show was not a great success, the team's willingness to take chances with edgy subjects led to the hugely popular Cabaret the following year. Other projects with Minnelli included the film version of Cabaret (1972), the Emmy Award-winning television special Liza with a Z (1972), the Broadway show The Act (1977), and the film New York, New York.

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