Galt MacDermot

Throughout a prolific output spanning multiple genres, Galt MacDermot earned greatest recognition for the score he supplied to the late-1960s Aquarian musical Hair. Raised in Montreal as the child of a Canadian diplomat, he attended Bishop’s University before continuing his studies at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and relocating to New York in 1964. In 1967 he supplied the music for Hair, whose lyrics were written by James Rado and Gerome Ragni; the production moved from off-Broadway acclaim to a Broadway triumph and eventually a major motion picture. Among the enduring pop standards that emerged are “Let the Sunshine In,” “Aquarius,” “What a Piece of Work Is Man,” “Good Morning Starshine,” and the title number. Beyond Hair he wrote the musicals Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Human Comedy, along with ballet and film scores, chamber pieces, works for band, and incidental theater music. In 1979 he established the New Pulse Jazz Band. Galt MacDermot died on December 17, 2018, one day before his 90th birthday.