Photo: Distributed by NBC (Motown). Photographer uncredited and unknown. / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Lerner belongs to that rare class of artists whose words you know by heart without ever knowing his name. Partnering with Frederick Loewe, he gave musical theatre some of its most quotable lyrics, and the trophy shelf, three Oscars, three Tonys, a Grammy, confirms what the ear already tells you. What strikes me most is his discipline as a craftsman of language: a single well-turned line can do the work of an entire scene. The Harvard education shows in the wit, but the warmth is all his own. Decades after his death in 1986, his lyrics still earn their keep on stages worldwide.
Overview
Alan Jay Lerner (August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986) was an American lyricist and librettist. In collaboration with Frederick Loewe, and later Burton Lane, he created some of the world's most popular and enduring works of musical theatre both for the stage and on film. Lerner won three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards, among other honors.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Alan Jay Lerner
- Name (Japanese)
- アラン・ジェイ・ラーナー
- Reading
- あらん・じぇい・らーなー
- Born
- August 31, 1918 – June 14, 1986
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Horse
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- screenwriter / librettist / writer / biographer / lyricist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Harvard University
Awards & achievements
- 1997 Grammy Trustees Award
- 1952 Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay
- 1959 Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 1985 Johnny Mercer Award
- 1966 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
- 1959 Academy Award for Best Original Song
- 1957 Tony Award for Best Musical
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Screenwriter — see all → · Librettist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.