Music >> Artists >> Soundtrack

Howard Ashman

September 16th, 2014

Genre:
Soundtrack

Years Active:
'70s, '80s






Howard Ashman

Biography

The songwriting team of lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken earned their greatest renown scoring Disney's latter-day animated classics The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Born in Baltimore on May 17, 1950, Ashman studied at Boston University before earning his master's degree from Indiana University in 1974. He then relocated to New York City, accepting a publishing job while moonlighting as a playwright. Dreamstuff, his musical adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, was soon produced at the WPA Theatre, where Ashman served as artistic director from 1976 to 1982. For 1979's musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, he first teamed with Menken, also his collaborator on 1982's Little Shop of Horrors. Based on the 1960 Roger Corman B-movie cult classic, Little Shop proved an unprecedented success; the highest-grossing production in off-Broadway history, it earned the New York Drama Critics Award and the Drama Desk Award. The 1986 film version also earned Ashman and Menken an Academy Award nomination for the newly added song "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space." With 1989's Disney release The Little Mermaid, the duo scored an Oscar for "Under the Sea," repeating the trick two years later with the title song from the classic Beauty and the Beast. Sadly, Ashman succumbed to AIDS on March 14, 1991; prior to his death, he and Menken completed three songs for the 1992 Disney feature Aladdin, notching their final joint Academy Award nomination for "Friend Like Me." . The songwriting team of lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken earned their greatest renown scoring Disney's latter-day animated classics The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Born in Baltimore on May 17, 1950, Ashman studied at Boston University before earning his master's degree from Indiana University in 1974. He then relocated to New York City, accepting a publishing job while moonlighting as a playwright. Dreamstuff, his musical adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest, was soon produced at the WPA Theatre, where Ashman served as artistic director from 1976 to 1982. For 1979's musical adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater, he first teamed with Menken, also his collaborator on 1982's Little Shop of Horrors. Based on the 1960 Roger Corman B-movie cult classic, Little Shop proved an unprecedented success; the highest-grossing production in off-Broadway history, it earned the New York Drama Critics Award and the Drama Desk Award. The 1986 film version also earned Ashman and Menken an Academy Award nomination for the newly added song "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space." With 1989's Disney release The Little Mermaid, the duo scored an Oscar for "Under the Sea," repeating the trick two years later with the title song from the classic Beauty and the Beast. Sadly, Ashman succumbed to AIDS on March 14, 1991; prior to his death, he and Menken completed three songs for the 1992 Disney feature Aladdin, notching their final joint Academy Award nomination for "Friend Like Me."

Top Albums


1. Howard Sings..
Little Shop of Horrors (Broadway Cast Recording), Alan Menken
2. Little Shop ..
Beauty and The Beast - from the Walt Disney Motion Picture (feat. Katie Campbell, Jami Lula & Dominik Hauser), Alan Menken
3. Beauty and T..

Top Songs

NameAlbumTimePrice
1.
Beauty and the BeastHoward Sings Ashman2:16$0.99
2.
Part of Your WorldHoward Sings Ashman3:07$0.99
3.
Sheridan SquareHoward Sings Ashman4:44$0.99
4.
Be Our Guest (Instrumental)Walt Disney World Official ..3:33$1.29
5.
If I Can't Love Her / Be My Gues..Wind Beneath My Wings6:42$0.99
6.
SpectroMagic ParadeSpectroMagic - EP14:16Album Only
7.
Beauty and the Bees (Beauty and the ..Disney's California Adv..2:18$0.99
8.
Les Poissons (From The little Mermai..Magical Music1:41$0.99
9.
Under The Sea (From The little Merma..Magical Music3:16$0.99
10.
Beauty And The BeastRomantic Whispers Vol. 33:48$0.99
11.
Be Our GuestMagical Movie Music4:07$0.99
12.
Beauty and The Beast - from the Walt..Beauty and The Beast - from..3:25$0.99
13.
Beauty and the Beast (Work Tape And ..Beauty and the Beast (Speci..3:58$1.29
14.
Be Our Guest (Score)Beauty and the Beast (Speci..3:29$1.29
15.
Steps In Time FinaleDisney's California Adv..3:49Album Only
16.
Little Mermaid MedleyWalt Disney World Official ..9:56Album Only
17.
Da-DooHoward Sings Ashman1:28$0.99
18.
BadHoward Sings Ashman2:37$0.99
19.
Rosewater FoundationHoward Sings Ashman3:34$0.99
20.
Mushari's WaltzHoward Sings Ashman2:56$0.99
21.
Cheese NipsHoward Sings Ashman2:30$0.99
22.
Growing BoyHoward Sings Ashman3:52$0.99
23.
Straw Boater RagHoward Sings Ashman3:51$0.99
24.
Under the SeaHoward Sings Ashman3:19$0.99
25.
Poor Unfortunate SoulsHoward Sings Ashman5:11$0.99

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