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IMDbPro

Howard Ashman(1950-1991)

  • Music Department
  • Writer
  • Composer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Howard Ashman and Alan Menken in Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer1:01
Howard (2018)
13 Videos
2 Photos
A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Howard Ashman moved to New York City in 1974 and began writing plays while working as an editor in a publishing house. His work attracted attention and he became WPA Theatre's artist director in 1977. In 1982, Ashman collaborated with composer Alan Menken on the musical "Little Shop of Horrors", one of off-Broadway's highest-grossing musicals. The team of Ashman and Menken shifted their focus to movies, creating some of the songs for The Little Mermaid (1989). One of them, "Under the Sea", won an Oscar in 1989 for best song. Ashman then wrote the lyrics for the songs in the Disney animated musical hit Beauty and the Beast (1991), and he and Menken won another Oscar for the title song. However, two days after he won an Oscar for "Under the Sea" Ashman confided in Menken that he had AIDS. Despite the terminal illness that was making him weaker every day, Ashman never stopped composing songs. He even turned out more songs for a third Disney animated musical, Aladdin (1992), before his death from AIDS on March 14, 1991, at the age of 40.
BornMay 17, 1950
DiedMarch 14, 1991(40)
BornMay 17, 1950
DiedMarch 14, 1991(40)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 2 Oscars
    • 13 wins & 28 nominations total

Photos

Howard Ashman

Known for

Robby Benson and Paige O'Hara in Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast
8.0
  • Music Department(lyrics by)
  • 1991
Jodi Benson in The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid
7.6
  • Music Department(lyrics by)
  • 1989
Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Vincent Gardenia, Ellen Greene, Levi Stubbs, and Michelle Weeks in Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Little Shop of Horrors
7.1
  • Music Department(musical stage play/also lyrics by)
  • 1986
Robin Williams, Jonathan Freeman, Gilbert Gottfried, Linda Larkin, Douglas Seale, Scott Weinger, and Frank Welker in Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin
8.0
  • Music Department(lyrics by)
  • 1992

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Music Department

  • Aladdin: Live from the West End
    • Lyrics by
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Halle Bailey, and Jonah Hauer-King in The Little Mermaid (2023)
    The Little Mermaid
    • songs: lyrics by
    • 2023
  • Halle: Part of Your World
    • Music Department
    • Music Video
    • 2023
  • Rita Moreno, Martin Short, David Alan Grier, Shania Twain, Rizwan Manji, Josh Groban, Leo Abelo Perry, Jon Jon Briones, Joshua Henry, and H.E.R. in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022)
    Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration
    • song lyrics
    • TV Special
    • 2022
  • NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert (2009)
    NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
    • lyrics
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Dhhs beauty and the beast mostly cogsworth scenes from closing night
    • lyrics by
    • Video
    • 2022
  • Disney Music Parade
    • Music Department
    • Video Game
    • 2021
  • Queen Latifah, John Stamos, Shaggy, Graham Phillips, and Auli'i Cravalho in The Wonderful World of Disney (1997)
    The Little Mermaid Live!
    • lyricist
    • TV Movie
    • 2019
  • Will Smith in Will Smith: Friend Like Me (2019)
    Will Smith: Friend Like Me
    • Music Department
    • Music Video
    • 2019
  • The Little Mermaid (1989)
    The Little Mermaid: An Immersive Live-to-Film Concert Experience
    • Music Department
    • Video
    • 2019
  • Will Smith, Alan Tudyk, Navid Negahban, Numan Acar, Marwan Kenzari, Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud, Adam Alzoubi, and Nathaniel Ellul in Aladdin (2019)
    Aladdin
    • songs: lyrics by
    • 2019
  • Cartoon All-Stars Reanimate (2019)
    Cartoon All-Stars Reanimate
    • original song
    • TV Short
    • 2019
  • Kelsey Grammer, Taye Diggs, Jane Krakowski, Zooey Deschanel, Rebel Wilson, and Qiwang Sun in Beauty and the Beast in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl (2018)
    Beauty and the Beast in Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
    • stock music
    • Video
    • 2018
  • The Railways of Crotoonia: Tillie to the Rescue (2017)
    The Railways of Crotoonia: Tillie to the Rescue
    • composer: additional music (as Howard Ashmen)
    • Short
    • 2017
  • Monette Moio, Jennifer Wenger, Christina Benthall, and Michael Parker in Deadpool: The Musical (2017)
    Deadpool: The Musical
    • writer: original Gaston song
    • Short
    • 2017
  • Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen, Audra McDonald, Emma Watson, Josh Gad, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in Beauty and the Beast (2017)
    Beauty and the Beast
    • songs: lyrics by
    • 2017

Writer

  • DCappella: Part of Your World (2019)
    DCappella: Part of Your World
    • Writer
    • Video
    • 2019
  • Christian Frates' Voice Swaps (2018)
    Christian Frates' Voice Swaps
    • original script
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Jodi Benson in The Little Mermaid (1989)
    The Little Mermaid
    • additional dialogue
    • 1989
  • Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Vincent Gardenia, Ellen Greene, Levi Stubbs, and Michelle Weeks in Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
    Little Shop of Horrors
    • based on the musical play "Little Shop of Horrors"
    • screenplay by
    • 1986

Composer

  • Will Smith: Prince Ali (2020)
    Will Smith: Prince Ali
    • Composer
    • Music Video
    • 2020
  • Level Up Norge (2016)
    Level Up Norge
    • Composer
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Karl-Martin Hogsnes and Bjørn Magnus Midthaug in Kozekveld (2012)
    Kozekveld
    • Composer
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Perfectly Princess (2006)
    Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Perfectly Princess
    • Composer
    • Video
    • 2006
  • Céline Dion & Peabo Bryson: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
    Céline Dion & Peabo Bryson: Beauty and the Beast
    • Composer
    • Music Video
    • 1991

Videos13

Waking Sleeping Beauty
Clip 0:55
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Clip 0:48
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Clip 1:31
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Clip 0:34
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Clip 0:55
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Clip 1:28
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:01
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:05
Official Trailer
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Featurette 1:16
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Featurette 1:03
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Featurette 0:55
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Featurette 1:08
Waking Sleeping Beauty

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Howard Ashmen
  • Height
    • 6′ 1″ (1.85 m)
  • Born
    • May 17, 1950
    • Baltimore, Maryland, USA
  • Died
    • March 14, 1991
    • St. Vincent's Hospital, Harrison, New York, USA(AIDS-related complications)
  • Parents
    • Shirley Ashman
  • Relatives
    • Sarah Gillespie(Sibling)
  • Other works
    Alan Menken and his musical, "The Little Shop of Horrors", was performed at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse in Chicago, Illinois. Cast and crew also included Hollis Resnik, Gene Weygandt, Dale Morgan, David Pomato (sound designer), Nick Venden (musical director). Directed by William Pullinsi.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 1 Interview
    • 1 Article

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His headstone reads "O that he would have but one more song to sing"
  • Quotes
    You've got all these classics. You know, Pinocchio (1940), Sleeping Beauty (1959), Cinderella (1950) and to make something that fits comfortably on the shelf with all those? What a difficult thing to do but it's such a great thing to try to do.
  • Trademarks
      His witty lyrics

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