Kander and Ebb were a successful American songwriting team. Composer John Kander (1927-…) and lyricist Fred Ebb (1928-2004) are best known for their hit stage musicals Cabaret (1966) and Chicago (1975). They also wrote for motion pictures. The title song for the 1977 movie musical New York, New York became the unofficial theme song for that city. In addition, the team wrote songs for such singers as Joel Grey, Liza Minnelli, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand.
John Harold Kander was born on March 18, 1927, in Kansas City, Missouri. He started his musical career in 1956 as a rehearsal pianist. He then prepared dance arrangements for the musicals Gypsy (1959) and Irma La Douce (1960). Kander made his Broadway debut composing the musical A Family Affair in 1962, the same year he met Fred Ebb.
Ebb was born on April 8, 1928, in New York City. He began his show business career writing nightclub material. He wrote for the satirical television show That Was the Week That Was in 1964 and 1965.
In 1962, Kander and Ebb collaborated on their first hit song, “My Coloring Book.” They established themselves as a leading Broadway team with Cabaret. The musical’s title song also became one of their biggest hits.
The team’s next major hit was Chicago, which included the hit song “And All That Jazz.” The original version of the show ran on Broadway for two years and was revived in 1996. A film version won the 2002 Academy Award as best picture. The first Kander and Ebb musical was Flora, the Red Menace (1965). Their other shows were The Happy Time (1968), Zorba (1968), 70, Girls, 70 (1971), Funny Lady (1975), The Act (1977), Woman of the Year (1981), The Rink (1984), Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993), Steel Pier (1997). Two musicals by the team opened after Ebb’s death on Sept. 11, 2004. They were Curtains (2007) and The Scottsboro Boys (2010).
