Photo: U.S. federal government / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on July 10, 1931 in New York City, New York, United States, Jerry Herman was a composer, pianist and lyricist. Jerry Herman died on December 26, 2019 at the age of 88. Schooling on record includes Henry Snyder High School and University of Miami. Awards on record include Theatre World Special Award (1999), Kennedy Center Honors, Johnny Mercer Award (1987) and 4 more.
My Take
Jerry Herman feels to me like Broadway's most generous optimist. The New York-born composer and lyricist behind hits of the 1960s built his reputation on what he called the simple, hummable showtune, and I love that creed without reservation. Tony Awards, Kennedy Center Honors and a Hollywood star confirm his stature, but his real legacy is emotional: melodies an audience carries out of the theatre and hums for days. In an art form that often prizes complexity, his unashamed warmth and joy were a kind of gift. He passed in 2019, yet those buoyant tunes keep playing, and I think that says everything.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jerry Herman
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェリー・ハーマン
- Reading
- じぇりー・はーまん
- Born
- July 10, 1931 – December 26, 2019
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Goat
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Occupation
- composer / pianist / lyricist / songwriter / musician
2. Background
- High school
- Henry Snyder High School
- University
- University of Miami
Awards & achievements
- 1999 Theatre World Special Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 1987 Johnny Mercer Award
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 1980 honorary doctor of the University of Miami
- 1964 Tony Award for Best Original Score
- 1984 Tony Award for Best Original Score
- 1964 Tony Award for Best Musical
3. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.jerryherman.com
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry%20Herman
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1363692
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-24
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Jerry Herman born?
Born July 10, 1931.
When did Jerry Herman die?
Died December 26, 2019, aged 88.
Where was Jerry Herman from?
Jerry Herman was from New York City, New York, United States.
What did Jerry Herman do?
Jerry Herman worked as composer, pianist, lyricist, songwriter, musician.
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