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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZADLER, Richard(b 23 August 1923, NYC; d 21 June 2012) Composer, lyricist, producer/director. He met Jerry Ross in 1950 (b 9 March 1926; d 11 November 1955); they signed with Frank Loesser's music publishing company and their 'Rags to Riches' was a big hit for Tony Bennett '53. That year they wrote most of the songs for revue John Murray Anderson's Almanac, with Hermione Gingold, Billy DeWolfe and Harry Belafonte. On Loesser's recommendation George Abbott hired them to write the score for The Pajama Game '54, for which Abbott had written the book; the hit songs included 'I'm Not At All In Love', 'Steam Heat', 'Hernando's Hideaway', 'Hey There' (no. 1 hit record by Rosemary Clooney). Damn Yankees '55 was another hit ('Heart', 'Whatever Lola Wants'). Each show ran more than 1,000 performances on Broadway, won Tonys and was transferred to London; both were filmed ('57 and '58 respectively; Yankees was called What Lola Wants in the UK). After Ross's death Adler wrote music and lyrics for Kwamina '61, A Mother's Kisses '68, also TV adverts; produced and staged galas for the Democratic party '62-5, directed Sammy Cahn one-man show '74. After the failure of Music Is '76 despite critical praise Adler attempted to start a new base for musical shows in South Carolina. George Abbott (b 25 June 1887, Forestville NY; d 31 January 1995, Miami FL) was the most celebrated producer and director in the history of Broadway. He was also a playwright, a screenwriter, and a producer and direcrtor of films. His shows won 40 Tony awards, and he was still working when he was over 100 years old. His Wikipedia biography is here.
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