Songtennial: Alan Jay Lerner at 100
Stage and film lyricist Alan Jay Lerner photographed in 1985.
2018 marks the centennial of Alan Jay Lerner’s birth. Born in New York and educated at Harvard, Lerner wrote the scripts and lyrics for some of Broadway and Hollywood’s most-loved musicals, including “My Fair Lady,” “Gigi” and “Camelot.”
Charming, urbane and witty, he was also plagued with insecurities and demons — he was married eight times, was hooked on methamphetamines for a while, had an on and off partnership with composer Frederick Loewe and frequently suffered writer’s block.
But he also had an impressive artistic output.
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