Frank Loesser

Who was Frank Loesser?

Frank Henry Loesser ( "lesser"; June 29, 1910 – July 28, 1969) was an American songwriter who wrote music and lyrics for the Broadway musicals Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, among others. He also wrote songs for over 60 Hollywood films and Tin Pan Alley, many of which have become standards, and was nominated for five Academy Awards for best song, winning once for "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Frank Henry Loesser was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the son of Henry Loesser, a pianist, and Julia Ehrlich. He grew up in a house on West 107th Street in Manhattan. Henry had moved to America to avoid German military service and work in his family's banking business. He married Bertha Ehrlich; their son, Arthur Loesser, was born August 26, 1894.

Bertha's younger sister Julia arrived in America in 1898, marrying Henry in 1907 after Bertha died in childbirth. Grace, their first child, was born in December of that year. He also wrote songs for over 60 Hollywood films and Tin Pan Alley, many of which have become standards, and was nominated for five Academy Awards for best song, winning once for "Baby, It's Cold Outside.

Historical significance

He won a Tony Award for Guys and Dolls and shared the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for How to Succeed.