Frank Loesser
| Frank Loesser | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frank Henry Loesser |
| Born |
June 29, 1910 New York City, New York, US |
| Died | July 28, 1969 (aged 59) New York City, New York, US |
| Genres | Musical theatre |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, lyricist, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1936–1969 |
Frank Henry Loesser (/ˈlɛsər/; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and music to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the latter. He also wrote numerous songs for films and Tin Pan Alley, many of which have become standards, and was nominated for five Academy Awards for best song, winning once, for "Baby, It's Cold Outside".
Loesser was born in New York City to Henry Loesser, a pianist, and Julia Ehrlich. He grew up in a house on West 107th Street in Manhattan. His father had moved to America to avoid Prussian military service and working in his family's banking business. He came to America and married Berthe (Ehrlich), and had a son in 1894, Arthur Loesser. In 1888, Berthe's sister Julia arrived in America. Julia and Henry soon fell in love and Julia really loved Arthur, but Berthe sent her to Washington D.C. Berthe died in childbirth and Julia moved back in and married Henry in 1907. Their first child, Grace, was born in December of that year. His parents both prized high intellect and culture and thus Loesser was taught musically in the vein of European composers. But although Henry was a full-time piano teacher, he never taught his son. In a 1914 letter to Frank's older half-brother Arthur Loesser, Henry wrote that the 14-year-old Frank could play by ear "any tune he's heard and can spend an enormous amount of time at the piano." (Frank Loesser would later collaborate with musical secretaries to ensure that his written scores—he was self-taught—reflected the music as he conceived it.)
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