Kenneth William Hirsch is an American pop songwriter, pianist and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

, co-writer of the international 1982 hit "

I've Never Been to Me "I've Never Been to Me" is a ballad, written and composed by Ron Miller and Kenneth Hirsch and made popular via a recording by American singer Charlene. Although its original release in 1977 barely registered on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, it ...

" with Ron Miller. He is also co-writer of the hits "If I Could", "No One in the World" and "

Two Less Lonely People in the World "Two Less Lonely People in the World" is a song by British/Australian soft rock duo Air Supply, from their 1982 album '' Now and Forever''. It was the third of three singles released from the album. The song reached number 38 on the US ''Billb ...

". He was born in New York City, attended the Juilliard School of Music and got a BA from Queens College with a major in music. His other co-writers include

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David ...

Howard Greenfield Howard Greenfield (March 15, 1936 – March 4, 1986) was an American lyricist and songwriter, who for several years in the 1960s worked out of the famous Brill Building. He is best known for his successful songwriting collaborations, including o ...

Doc Pomus Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall ...

, Gerry Goffin,

Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager (born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1947) is an American lyricist, singer, and songwriter. Early life and career Bayer Sager was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer. Her family was Jewish. She grad ...

, Paul Williams, Phil Cody, Wayland Holyfield, Allan Rich, Marti Sharron, Bruce Burch and Robin Lerner. His songs have been recorded by, amongst others,

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

, Charlene, Stevie Wonder,

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

Air Supply Air Supply is a soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975. It consists of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight top-five ...

Regina Belle Regina Elaine Belle (born July 17, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter who started her career in the mid-1980s. Known for her singles " Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle's most notable for two hit duets, both with ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

Millie Jackson Mildred Virginia Jackson (born July 15, 1944) is an American R&B and soul recording artist. Beginning her career in the early 1960s, three of Jackson's albums have been certified gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 copies sold. Jackson's songs o ...

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

, Latoya London,

Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman is best known for her music during the late 1970s through the early 1990s, some of her most notable songs were "You Know How to Love Me" ...

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin
, The Jewish Historical Society of New Haven, 1998. (born February 26, 1953), known professio ...

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...

, B. B. King,

Johnny Adams Laten John Adams Jr. (January 5, 1932 – September 14, 1998), was an American blues, jazz and gospel singer, known as "The Tan Canary" for the multi-octave range of his singing voice, his swooping vocal mannerisms and falsetto. His biggest ...

Genya Ravan Genya Ravan, a.k.a. Goldie (born Genyusha Zelkovicz; April 19, 1940) is an American rock singer and music producer. She was lead singer of The Escorts, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive. Life and career Childhood Ravan was bo ...

, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson,

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musi ...

, and

José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " F ...

. Hirsch composed the music to the musicals ''Daddy Goodness'' (co-written with Ron Miller) starring

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

winners

Ted Ross Theodore Ross Roberts (June 30, 1934 – September 3, 2002) was an American actor who was probably best known for his role as the Lion in ''The Wiz'', an all-African American reinterpretation of ''The Wizard of Oz''. He won a Tony Award for t ...

and

Clifton Davis Clifton Duncan Davis (born October 4, 1945) is an American actor, singer, songwriter, minister, and author. Davis wrote The Jackson 5's No. 2 hit " Never Can Say Goodbye" in 1971. He appeared on Broadway in the musicals '' Two Gentlemen of Vero ...

and also

Freda Payne Freda Charcilia Payne (born September 19, 1942Some sources give a birth year of 1945, but this appears to be an error as all sources agree that she is older than her sister Scherrie, born 1944.) is an American singer and actress. Payne is best ...

. It played at the

Forrest Theatre The Forrest Theatre is a live theatre venue at 1114 Walnut Street Center City area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It has a seating capacity of 1,851 and is managed by The Shubert Organization.

in Philadelphia and the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. in 1979. He also wrote the music to the ''Clothespins and Dreams'' (co-written with Ron Miller) starring Tony Award winner Barney Martin and also Eloise Laws. It played at the

Pasadena Civic Auditorium The Pasadena Convention Center is a convention center in Pasadena, California. It consists of three buildings. Pasadena Civic Auditorium The Civic Auditorium, one of the major structures in the Pasadena Civic Center District, was built in 1931 ...

in 1989. In 2012, Ken co-wrote the score to ''An Officer and a Gentleman, The Musical'' co-written with Robin Lerner. It premiered on May 18, 2012 in Sydney, Australia directed by Simon Phillips. It was nominated for 5 Helpmann Awards including "Best Musical" and won for "Best Supporting Actor".

Selective list of Ken Hirsch songs

* "If I Could" (Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron) – Nancy Wilson (1988); Carl Anderson (1990);

(1993);

(1997, #1 US album);

(2004) "A New Day" and ''

Miracle A miracle is an event that is inexplicable by natural or scientific lawsOne dictionary define"Miracle"as: "A surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divi ...

'' Ray Charles, Michael Bolton, Gladys Knight. *"

No One in the World "No One in the World" is a song by American R&B singer Anita Baker. It was the fourth single from her multi-platinum album, ''Rapture''. It had previously been released by Dionne Warwick on her 1985 album '' Finder of Lost Loves'' and again on he ...

" (Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron) -

(1986) on the Grammy award-winning album '' Rapture'', Dionne Warwick (1985) Finders of Lost Love (Dionne Warwick album) *"

" -

(1983) * "

" ( Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch) – Charlene, 1982, US #3, UK #1, Canada #1, Australia #1. Soundtrack: "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"; Soundtrack: "Shrek 3"; Soundtrack: "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert - The Musical". * "There Is Always One More Time" (Ken Hirsch, Doc Pomus) - B.B.King; Harry Connick Jr.; Johnny Adams - Soundtrack: '' Bowfinger''. * "Can't We Try" (Ken Hirsch, Ron Miller) Teddy Pendergrass * "Soon As I Touched Him" (Ken Hirsch, Norma Helms) Dolly Parton * "He Wants To Hear The Words" (Ken Hirsch, Kathy Wakefeild) Millie Jackson * "Everybody Loves Me" (Ken Hirsch, Doc Pomus) Jose Feliciano * "It All Goes By So Fast" (Ken Hirsch, Jay Levy) Ray Charles & Mary J. Blige * "You Were There" (Ken Hirsch, Ron Miller) Ray Charles & Gladys Knight * "How I Love The Rain" (Ken Hirsch, Rosie Casey) Latoya London * "Before We Say Goodbye" (Ken Hirsch) Soundtrack: ''2gether'' * "Used To Be" (Ken Hirsch, Ron Miller) Stevie Wonder & Charlene * "Walk Away" (Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron) Dionne Warwick; Phyllis Hyman * "You Loved Away The Pain" (Ken Hirsch, Ron Miller) Gladys Knight; Hanne Boel * "A Lady With A Song" (Ken Hirsch, Smokey Bates) Nancy Wilson * "Save Your Nights For Me" (Ken Hirsch, Mark Mueller) Plácido Domingo * "I Hate Myself" (

, Ken Hirsch) -

(1972);

Anita Lane Anita Louise Lane (18 March 1960 – 27 April 2021) was an Australian singer-songwriter who was briefly a member of the Bad Seeds with Nick Cave and Mick Harvey and collaborated with both bandmates. Lane released two solo albums, ''Dirty Pearl' ...

(2001)

References

External links

kennyhirsch.comBMI.comKen Hirsch Songwriter Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirsch, Ken American male songwriters Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Musicians from New York City Juilliard School alumni Queens College, City University of New York alumni