Sheldon Harnick Biography

Sheldon Harnick (born 1924) is an American lyricist best known for his collaboration with composer Jerry Bock on hit musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof.

• 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 (1982) (Michel Legrand)
• The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) (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.

[1] Northwestern University Magazine article based on 2004 interview with alumnus Harnick.