R.I.P. Bruce Hart, 68, "Free to Be...You & Me" lyricist
leno...@yahoo.com
Oh, and for those who missed it, another writer for that album was
Philip Ressner, whose obit I mentioned here a while ago.
Lenona.
Bruce Hart, 68, Lyricist for 'Sesame Street,' Dies
By BEN SISARIO, NY Times
Published: February 23, 2006
Bruce Hart, who wrote lyrics for "Sesame Street" and "Free to Be ...
You and Me," died on Tuesday at his home in Manhattan. He was 68.
The cause was lung cancer, said his wife, Carole.
Mr. Hart and his wife were among the first writers on "Sesame Street"
when it began in 1969 as a children's show that tried to be equally
entertaining and educational. To shake up the creative process, its
producers hired people new to children's television.
Mr. Hart, who had written for "Candid Camera" and composed the lyrics
to "One Way Ticket," a hit for Cass Elliott, was hired to write
sketches and help with the theme song. With a clear whistle of a melody
and lyrics that seemed to come straight from the mind of a happy child,
the song - written with Joe Raposo and Jon Stone - became a
touchstone of children's music:
Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away
On my way to where the air is sweet
Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?
"That opening bar summoned children all over the world to the
television set," said Phil Donahue, a longtime friend. "Its purity is
its strength."
Mr. Hart and his wife left "Sesame Street" after the first season and
went on to a variety of other projects for children and young people,
including "Free to Be ... You and Me," the groundbreaking album and
television special created by Marlo Thomas, which featured Mel Brooks,
Harry Belafonte, Michael Jackson and other celebrities. Ms. Hart was a
writer and producer of the special, with Ms. Thomas, and Mr. Hart wrote
many of the songs with a longtime collaborator, Stephen Lawrence.
They also wrote, and Mr. Hart directed, a 1979 television musical for
teenagers, "Sooner or Later." A song from that show with lyrics by Mr.
Hart, "You Take My Breath Away," became a hit for the star, Rex Smith.
The Harts also produced a short-lived but acclaimed television show,
"Hot Hero Sandwich," and a series of educational films about
psychology, among many other projects. Mr. Hart also wrote a 1988
television movie for adults, "Leap of Faith," starring Anne Archer and
Sam Neill.
Besides his wife, Mr. Hart is survived by a brother, Alan, of Akron,
Ohio.