Al Kasha | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Alfred Kasha |
| Born | (1937-01-22)January 22, 1937 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 2020(2020-09-14) (aged 83) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Popular music |
| Occupation | Songwriter |
| Website | alkasha |
Alfred Kasha (January 22, 1937 – September 14, 2020)[1] was an Americansongwriter, whose songs include "The Morning After" fromThe Poseidon Adventure and "We May Never Love Like This Again" fromThe Towering Inferno.[2]
Kasha started songwriting and producing at a young age and was hired as a producer atColumbia Records aged 22. He worked at theBrill Building in 1959 alongside writers and artists likeCarole King,Neil Sedaka,Barry Mann,Cynthia Weil,Jerry Leiber,Mike Stoller,Burt Bacharach,Hal David, andNeil Diamond. He worked with many great artists such asAretha Franklin ("Operation Heartbreak" and "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"), Neil Diamond,Donna Summer ("I'm A Fire"),Charles Aznavour ("Dance In The Old Fashioned Way"),Bobby Darin ("Irresistible You"), andJackie Wilson ("I'm Coming on Back To You," "My Empty Arms," "Forever And A Day," "Each Night I Dream Of You," "Lonely Life," and "Sing And Tell The Blues So Long").[3] Kasha is most noted for his years of collaboration with songwriterJoel Hirschhorn. The two wrote and collaborated on many nominated and award-winning songs for many music groups, movies, and musicals.The Peppermint Rainbow's "Will You Be Staying After Sunday" is just one example of the many songs they wrote for groups during their time.
The songwriting duo twice won theAcademy Award for Best Original Song: for "The Morning After" fromThe Poseidon Adventure in 1973[4] and "We May Never Love Like This Again" fromThe Towering Inferno in 1975,[5] both made famous byMaureen McGovern. They also received two more Academy Award nominations for their work in the 1977 Disney filmPete's Dragon, for Best Song Score as well as Best Song ("Candle On The Water," sung byHelen Reddy).[6][7]
Along with Hirschhorn, Kasha also received twoTony nominations (one forCopperfield and the other forSeven Brides for Seven Brothers),[8] twoGrammy nominations, anEmmy, fourGolden Globe nominations, and aPeople's Choice Award. They also composed the theme song to the short-lived 1990s game showThe Challengers.[9][10]
Kasha wrote three books:If They Ask You Can Write A Song,Notes On Broadway, and his autobiography,Reaching The Morning After.
Kasha was married to Ceil Kasha and had a daughter, Dana Kasha-Cohen. He suffered withParkinson's disease in his latter years.
Kasha died on September 14, 2020, at the age of 83.[1]
