Jerry Herman, legendary composer of Hello, Dolly!, dies at 88

(Image credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images)

published 27 December 2019

It's curtain call for Jerry Herman's storied musical career.

The composer died in a Miami hospital Thursday at age 88, his goddaughter confirmed Friday to The Associated Press. Herman wrote the music and lyrics for several Broadway musicals, earning him a Kennedy Center honor, a handful of Tony Awards, and a special Tony lifetime achievement award along the way.

Herman's Broadway composing career kicked off with a contribution to the revue From A to Z, and his first full-length musical, Milk and Honey, made its Broadway debut in 1961. He later composed the 1964 show Hello, Dolly!, which won a then record-breaking 10 Tony Awards. His next Broadway hit came with Mame in 1966, which starred Angela Lansbury. Herman earned another Tony in 1984 for La Cage Aux Foles, which was the first Broadway musical to star a gay couple. Herman was openly gay, and was living with his partner Terry Marler in Miami when he died.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox