Graduated from Northwestern University's School of Music in 1949.
Brother-in-law of Barbara Barrie
Uncle of Aaron Harnick
Uncle of Jane Harnick
Won three Tony Awards: one in 1960 for "Fiorello!," for his lyrics as part of a Best Musical win; and two in 1965 for "Fiddler on the Roof," as Best Composer and Lyricist, shared with collaborator Jerry Bock, and for his lyrics as part of a Best Musical win. He was also Tony-nominated five other times: one in 1964, for his lyrics as part of a Best Musical nomination for "She Loves Me;" two in 1967, as Best Composer and Lyricist, again in collaboration with Bock, and for his lyrics and book collaboration on "The Apple Tree;" one in 1971, as Best Lyrics (Musical) for "The Rothschilds;" and one in 1994, in collaboration with Ad van Dijk and Peter Reeves, as Best Original Music Score for "Cyrano: The Musical."
Sheldon Harnick Detailed Biography -
Musicals
New Faces (1952) (music by himself)
Shangri-La (1956) (music by himself)
The Body Beautiful (1958) (Bock)
Fiorello! (1959) (Bock)
Music to Ford-i-fy your future (1959) (Bock), an industrial musical for the Ford Motor Company
Tenderloin (1960) (Bock)
Smiling the Boy Fell Dead (1961) (David Baker)
She Loves Me (1963) (Bock)
Fiddler on the Roof (1964) (Bock)
The Apple Tree (1966) (Bock)
The Rothschilds (1970) (Bock)
Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines (1975) (Jack Beeson)
Rex (1976) (Richard Rodgers)
A Christmas Carol (unknown) (Michel Legrand)
In each case the composer of the music is given in parentheses.
Harnick began his career writing words and music to comic songs in musical revues. One of these songs, "The Merry Little Minuet", was popularized by the Kingston Trio. It is in the caustic style associated with Tom Lehrer and is sometimes incorrectly attributed to him.
