Education
With a one-year scholarship for studying musical composition, he went to Paris and studied under Arthur Honegger.
With a one-year scholarship for studying musical composition, he went to Paris and studied under Arthur Honegger.
Born in Cardiff, he received a degree in music from the University of Wales. He moved to Canada with his family at the age of 26. He started his career as an orchestrator and composer for Canadian Broadcasting Company Radio and Canadian Broadcasting Company Television.
Together they played active roles in orchestral and theatrical compositions.
Their major breakthrough came with the 1964 Broadway musical Baker Street. They were originally noticed by the Broadway producer Alexander H. Cohen, who signed them for the musical.
Their next score Hellzapoppin was not a success, but their title song was recorded by Jimmy Durante and Louis Armstrong. He moved to Hollywood and made successful career with musicals and sketches for The Dean Martin Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Smothers Brothers Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Comedy Factory, and various John Denver specials.
He was a story editor of the American Broadcasting Company comedy The Love Boat from 1977 to 1980, and writer and consultant of Head of the Class from 1986 to 1991.
He wrote and produced the Canadian Broadcasting Company television series The Jacksons. He also co-wrote, with Martin Charnin, lyrics for I Remember Mama in 1979. He was persuaded by Michael Feinstein and Shelly Goldstein.
With his original Wanna Sing A Show Tune, he started his first perform with Feinstein.
The song was recorded on Feinstein"s album Live At The Algonquin. His first stage performance was at age 72.
He performed at the Hollywood’s Gardenia Room in 2002. The most successful are Whatever Happened To Melody?, which was recorded by Michael Feinstein (in Forever), David Campbell (in Yesterday Is Now), and by Masters of Harmony (in California Gold Rush).
And I"m All Right Now on John Pizzarelli"s Civil Defense New Standards.
They wrote scripts and songs for the Shari Lewis" Public Broadcasting Service show The Charlie Horse Music Pizz. After a long retired life, at age 84, he auditioned for the America"s Got Talent (season 9) in 2014. He performed an original song What She’s Got.
lieutenant is about a man who has a transgender woman as a girlfriend.
While the judges and public loved it, and he qualified for the next round of the competition, it received criticism from the LGBT community. He was a recipient of five MAC Awards for "Original Song", and the 2004 Bistro Award.
He died "of natural causes" at his home in Studio City, California.