Today would've been Howard Ashman's 58th Birthday (pictured on right). Here at www.WaltDisneyBoards.com we remember the great man "who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul".

Howard Ashman was an American playwright and movie music lyricist. He collaborated with Alan Menken (pictured on left) on several films, notably animated features for Disney....Ashman writing the lyrics and Menken composing the scores.

He first worked with Alan Menken on a 1979 musical adapted from Kurt Vonnegut's God Bles You, Mr Rosewater. They also collaborated on Little Shop of Horrors with Ashman as director, lyricist, and librettist.

Asman was director, lyricist and bookwriter for the 1986 Broadway musical, Smile (music by Marvin Hamlisch). Along with Menken, Ashman was the co-recipient of two Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and two Oscars. His second Academy Award in 1992 was awarded posthumously for Best Song and was accepted by his partner, Bill Lauch.

Ashman was posthumously named a Disney Legend in 2001. Beauty and the Beast was dedicated to him, "To our Friend Howard, who gave a mermaid her voice and a beast his soul, we will be forever grateful. Howard Ashman 1950-1991".

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