Best known for his Broadway hits, Hello Dolly!, Mame and La Cage aux Folles, the master of hummable showtunes, Jerry Herman, died on December 26 in Miami, FL. Herman had complained of chest pains, was taken to the hospital and passed away soon after of pulmonary complications.
The composer-lyricist, who had, at age 17, met and been encouraged by Frank Loesser, had early success in New York City, where he settled immediately after graduating from the University of Miami. But his musical roots had long been nurtured in his childhood. He was born July 10, 1931, and raised in Jersey City, NJ. His parents were musicians who worked summers in hotels in the Catskill Mountains, where he learned early on to play piano. Herman began to write music at an early age as well, admiring particularly the work of that other melodist, Irving Berlin.
Once established in New York, Herman produced the revue, I Feel Wonderful, at the Theatre de Lys (now the Lucille Lortel Theater) in Greenwich Village, comprised of songs he’d written in college. t closed after 48 performances; but Herman moved on to another revue, Nightcap, which ran for two years, following it with a third, entitled Parade. He made his Broadway debut with another revue, From A to Z. Herman’s first full-fledged Broadway show was 1961’s Milk and Honey, a musical about the founding of the state of Israel. He’d been tapped by producer Gerard Oestreicher who’d seen his work and liked it. Likewise, in 1964, producer David Merrick approached Herman to compose the music for an adaptation of a Thornton Wilder play, The Matchmaker. The result was Hello Dolly!, the now iconic musical that produced such enduring songs as “Hello Dolly!” and “Before the Parade Passes By.”
Another huge hit followed in 1966: Mame, with more memorable tunes such 
as “If He Walked Into My Life”, “We Need a Little Christmas” and the title tune. But Herman’s next series of Broadway ventures did not fare as well. Dear World (1969), Mack and Mabel (1974) and The Grand Tour (1979) were not critical successes (some declare them failures), especially as Herman’s style of writing tuneful songs was on the wane. It was in 1983 that his final show, La Cage aux Folles became a huge hit. Declaring he had nothing more to rove, he decided to enter retirement on a high note. Herman was largely content to spend his time overseeing productions of his work, making appearances, taking on small projects and writing his memoir, Showtune.
By all accounts, Herman was an optimistic, positive and cheerful man, attributes that were made manifest in his characters and his songs. His philosophy was summed up in his lyric, “the best of times is now.” Shortly after the opening of La Cage aux Folles, Herman’s partner, Marty Finkelstein, died of complications from AIDS. Herman was diagnosed as HIV-positive. He was one of the first to receive drugs that has HIV at bay for many. As a result, he helped raise millions of dollars for AIDS research, characteristically maintaining a positive attitude throughout.
Jerry Herman truly loved every minute of life. He will be remembered as an icon and legend of the Broadway stage who has, and will continue, to bring joy to generations of theater-goers.
What a beautifully written tribute to Jerry Herman.