# Fred Ebb (of Kander and Ebb) dies at (roughly) 76

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 13, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199 "2004-09-13T01:47:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199/1 "2004-09-13T01:47:24Z")

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> **[Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines](https://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=%2Fap%2F20040912%2Fap_en_ot%2Fobit_ebb)**
>
> The latest news and headlines from Yahoo! News. Get breaking news stories and in-depth coverage with videos and photos.

> [@](#):
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> Fred Ebb, who wrote the lyrics for such hit Broadway musicals as “Chicago” and “Cabaret” as well as the big-city anthem “New York, New York,” has died of a heart attack.
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> Ebb died Saturday at his home, said David McKeown, an assistant to composer John Kander, Ebb’s longtime collaborator. The lyricist was believed to be 76, although Ebb always was “sweetly vague” about his age, said director Scott Ellis, who worked with him on several shows.

Apparently, they were in the middle of writing and re-writing several things, and AFAIK nobody expected this. It happens to everyone eventually I guess.

☹

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**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199/2 "2004-09-13T03:01:01Z")

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Yeah, I just saw this on CNN. As a musical theatre writer, I was especially drawn to their work, and always thought Fred Ebb’s lyrics were touching and clever. God bless him, he left behind a wonderful legacy. ☹

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199/3 "2004-09-13T12:31:31Z")

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Kander & Ebb were a great song writing team who did a lot for the careers of Liza Minelli & Bob Fosse. Everyone knows the songs they wrote, even if they don’t know their names.

They also did a version of “Phantom” with the worst timing in musical history. Some people like it better than you-know-who’s.

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**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199/4 "2004-09-13T17:24:18Z")

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K&E are/were one of my favorite songwriters. Broadway lost a real heavyweight when FE died.

I don’t know if FE’s death was really unexpected, though. K&E appeared in the AFI’s recent “100 Greatest Movies Songs” television program, and FE looked like he was at death’s door then. Another clue that something was wrong was the fact that JK did most of the talking – very surprising because FE was always the chatty one while KE usually just sat there nodding. I emailed a musical theater insider friend about it and he confirmed that FE was, in fact, in declining health.

People who like their better-known stuff should get a recording of their first Bway show, _Flora the Red Menace_ (which starred the newcomer Liza Minelli who won a Tony). Its undeservedly obscure score is really boffo.

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-ebb-of-kander-and-ebb-dies-at-roughly-76/264199/5 "2004-09-13T23:29:28Z")

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Well I just assumed that because all I knew is what the article I linked to said. I assumed that if it had been expected, I probably would have heard that, and the article probably would have said “… who had been in poor health for several months…”