Alan "Buz" Kohan (born August 9, 1933) is an Americantelevision writer, producer and composer.^[1]

Kohan was born to aJewish family^[2] in theBronx, New York City,^[3] the son of Charles (b. 1902) and May Kohan.^[3] His father was in theleotard business and his mother was a housewife.^[3]

Kohan studied at theUniversity of Rochester'sEastman School of Music, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in 1955 and 1956, respectively. After working in New York, in 1967, he was offered work onThe Carol Burnett Show, relocating to Los Angeles.^[4]

As a television producer, he produced many television specials, includingBing Crosby's Christmas Show (1970),Perry Como's Winter Show (1971),Bing Crosby and the Sounds of Christmas (1971),TheArthur Godfrey Special (1972),The Keane Brothers Show,Gene Kelly: An American in Pasadena (1978), andShirley MacLaine: Illusions (1982).

As a writer, he wrote special material forNight of One Hundred Stars, produced atRadio City Music Hall, New York City in 1982, and also (withMarvin Hamlisch, Christopher Adler, andLarry Grossman)Shirley MacLaine on Broadway, produced atGershwin Theatre, New York City, in 1984. He wrote songs with (and for) his dear friend singer-entertainerMichael Jackson, such as "You Were There" (a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr. sung by Jackson), "Gone Too Soon" (written during the early '80s, recorded later for Jackson'sDangerous album released in 1991 as a tribute to Ryan White), "Scared of the Moon" (a rare song from 1984, sung by Michael Jackson, released in 2004 by Sony Music), and "Make a Wish," a never-heard song written by Kohan and sung by Jackson, for the Steven Spielberg version of Peter Pan,Hook. He also co-wrote the Christmas classic "Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy" forDavid Bowie andBing Crosby.^[5]

Kohan met his wifeRhea Arnold when she was working inLake George, New York.^[4] They married on July 17, 1962, and they have three children together: Jono,David Kohan (who are twins), andJenji Kohan. As Rhea Kohan, his wife has published the novelsSave Me a Seat (Harper & Row, 1979) andHand-Me-Downs (Random House, 1980).

He and his children David and Jenji have all won Emmys, making them one of just 15 families with parents and children who have won.^[6]

• Buz Kohan atIMDb 
• Buz Kohan atThe Interviews: An Oral History of Television
• Buz Kohan at theInternet Broadway Database
• Buz Kohan atPlaybill Vault

This article about an American entertainer is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it.

• v
• t
• e

• 1933 births
• Living people
• Television producers from New York City
• American male screenwriters
• Jewish American screenwriters
• American male composers
• 21st-century American composers
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• American television writers
• Writers from the Bronx
• Screenwriters from New York City
• American male television writers
• 21st-century American male musicians
• 21st-century American Jews
• Eastman School of Music alumni
• American entertainer stubs

• CS1 errors: generic name
• CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Pages using infobox person with multiple parents
• Articles with hCards
• IBDB name template using Wikidata
• Playbill person template using Wikidata
• All stub articles