Joel Hirschhorn

Joel Hirschhorn was born on December 18, 1937, in the Bronx, New York. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts in Manhattan and later studied at Hunter College. Early in his career, he worked as a nightclub performer, showcasing his skills as a singer and pianist. He was also a member of a rock band called The Highlighters. These early experiences in performance laid the foundation for his transition into songwriting and musical storytelling.

Hirschhorn began writing music for films in the 1960s, with his first notable project being the score for Who Killed Teddy Bear? in 1965. His breakthrough came in the early 1970s when he formed a songwriting partnership with Al Kasha. The duo gained national attention with their song “The Morning After” from The Poseidon Adventure, which won an Academy Award and became a number-one hit on the Billboard charts.

Following that success, Hirschhorn and Kasha continued writing for major films. They won a second Academy Award for “We May Never Love Like This Again” from The Towering Inferno and received additional recognition for their work on Disney’s Pete’s Dragon, including the Oscar-nominated song “Candle on the Water.” Their emotionally resonant songs became integral to the success of many classic films of the 1970s and 1980s.

In addition to film work, Hirschhorn also contributed to Broadway. He and Kasha earned Tony Award nominations for Copperfield, a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s David Copperfield, and for their revised score for a Broadway revival of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. These projects showcased Hirschhorn’s ability to adapt his lyrical and musical talents to the stage, blending traditional storytelling with theatrical composition.

Outside of songwriting, Hirschhorn was also a published author and columnist. He co-wrote books such as If They Ask You, You Can Write a Song and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Songwriting, and he contributed theatre reviews for industry publications. Joel Hirschhorn passed away on September 18, 2005, in Thousand Oaks, California. His songs have sold over 90 million copies and have been performed by legendary artists, securing his legacy as a gifted and influential voice in both film and musical theatre.