People we love: Richard Rodgers

Richard Charles Rodgers, June 28, 1902 – December 31, 1979

Born on this day in 1902.

American composer Richard Rodgers wrote more than 900 songs and music for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed for films and television. His best known partnerships were with lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II.

Rodgers was the first person to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. He also one a Pulitzer Prize and is one of two people, along with Marvin Hamblisch, to have won all five awards.

Perhaps his most famous and best loved work is for The Sound of Music that he wrote with with Hammerstein. But he also collaborated with Hammerstein on Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I and South Pacific.

Before working with Hammerstein, he worked with Lorenz Hart and produced such favorites as The Most Beautiful Girl in the World, My Funny Valentine and The Lady is a Tramp.

After Hammerstein died in 1960, Rodgers worked with Stephen Sondheim, Martin Charnin and Sheldon Harnick.

Rodgers survived cancer of the jaw, a heart attack and alaryngectomy, but died in 1979 at the age of 77.


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