Paul Jabara, also known as Paul Frederick Jabara, (January 31, 1948 – September 29, 1992) was an American actor, singer, and songwriter of Lebanese ancestry, born in Brooklyn, New York. He wrote

Donna Summer LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948May 17, 2012), known professionally as Donna Summer, was an American singer and songwriter. She gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s and became known as the " Queen of Disco", while her mus ...

's Oscar-winning " Last Dance" from '' Thank God It's Friday'' (1978) as well as "

No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" is a 1979 song recorded by American singers Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. It was written by Paul Jabara and Bruce Roberts, and produced by Giorgio Moroder and Gary Klein. The song was recorded for Streis ...

" her international hit duet with

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 List ...

. He also cowrote

The Weather Girls The Weather Girls are an American female duo whose best-known line-up comprised Martha Wash and Izora Armstead. Formed in 1976 in San Francisco, California, The Weather Girls members began their musical career as Two Tons O' Fun, the female back ...

iconic hit "

It's Raining Men "It's Raining Men" is a song by the American musical duo the Weather Girls from their third studio album, '' Success'' (1983). It was released as the album's lead single on September 10, 1982, through Columbia Records and CBS Records Internati ...

" (with

Paul Shaffer Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both '' Late ...

). Jabara's cousin

Jad Azkoul Jad Azkoul (Arabic: جأد عزقول) is a teacher and concert classical guitarist who was once the student of Abel Carlevaro, and translated much of his work. In 1997, Carlevaro declared that Azkoul was his "genuine representative", as well as ...

is a Lebanese-American musician specializing in classical guitar.

Actor

Jabara was in the original cast of the stage musicals ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...

'' and ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

''. He took over the role of Frank-N-Furter in the Los Angeles Production of ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to the science fiction and horror B movies of the 1930s through to the early 1960s, the musical tells the story of a newly engaged couple ...

'' when

Tim Curry Timothy James Curry (born 19 April 1946) is an English actor and singer. He rose to prominence for his portrayal of Dr. Frank-N-Furter in the film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975), reprising the role he had originated in the 1973 London ...

left the production to film the movie version in England. He appeared in

John Schlesinger John Richard Schlesinger (; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for ''Midnight Cowboy'', and was nominated for the same award for two other films ('' Darling'' an ...

's 1969 film ''

Midnight Cowboy ''Midnight Cowboy'' is a 1969 American drama (film and television), drama film, based on the 1965 Midnight Cowboy (novel), novel of the same name by James Leo Herlihy. The film was written by Waldo Salt, directed by John Schlesinger, and stars ...

'', as a hippie handing out pills ("Up or Down?") at the counterculture party, and in Schlesinger's 1975 film ''

The Day of the Locust ''The Day of the Locust'' is a 1939 novel by American author Nathanael West set in Hollywood, California. The novel follows a young artist from the Yale School of Fine Arts named Tod Hackett, who has been hired by a Hollywood studio to do scene ...

'', where he sang a cover of the

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

song "Hot Voo-Doo" in drag. In the 1978 film '' Thank God It's Friday'' he played the role of Carl, the lovelorn and nearsighted disco goer, and he also contributed as a singer on two tracks on the original soundtrack album. In 1981 Jabara starred in another John Schlesinger film, the comedy ''

Honky Tonk Freeway ''Honky Tonk Freeway'' is a 1981 American-British comedy film directed by John Schlesinger. The film, conceived and co-produced by Don Boyd, was one of the most expensive box office bombs in history, losing its British backers Thorn EMI between ...

'', as truck driver/songwriter T. J. Tupus, hauling lions and a rhino.

Songwriter and singer

Jabara wrote the book, music, lyrics and starred in the aborted Broadway musical ''

Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It) ''Rachael Lily Rosenbloom (And Don't You Ever Forget It)'' is a musical with a book by Paul Jabara and Tom Eyen, music by Jabara, and lyrics by Jabara, David Debin, and Paul Issa. The convoluted plot revolves around the misadventures of the tit ...

'', which played the

Broadhurst Theatre The Broadhurst Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 235 West 44th Street (Manhattan), 44th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1917, the theater was designed ...

in New York City in 1973. It closed in previews prior to its official opening and was never reviewed by the press. No recording was made of the score, which featured both Jabara's trademark disco music and traditional Broadway-style numbers. In 1976, Jabara contributed a song to the 20th Century Fox motion picture sound track of "Mother, Jugs & Speed", starring Bill Cosby, Raquel Welch and Harvey Keitel. The upbeat, disco-flavored "Dance", both written and sung by Jabara, which was popular in clubs featuring high energy dance music. Jabara released his debut album ''

Shut Out Shut Out may refer to: * Shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as ...

'' in 1977. Jabara's solo albums on the disco label

Casablanca Records Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records. Under its founder Neil Bogart, Casablanca was most successful during the disco era of the mid to late 1970s. The label currently f ...

include three duets with Donna Summer: "

" (1977), "

Something's Missing (In My Life) Something's Missing (In My Life)" is a song composed by Paul Jabara and Jay Asher, and recorded by various artists. The song was recorded as a duet with Jabara and Donna Summer in 1978, and appeared on Jabara's album '' Keeping Time''. Marcia Hine ...

" (1978) and " Never Lose Your Sense of Humor" (1979). Donna Summer performed his song " Last Dance" for the 1978 film '' Thank God It's Friday'' winning Jabara the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best R&B Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record four times, while Bab ...

, the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for

Best Original Song This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

and the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for

. In 1979, with Bruce Roberts, he co-wrote Barbra Streisand's top 3 hit "

The Main Event/Fight "The Main Event/Fight" is a 1979 medley recorded by Barbra Streisand. The song is the title track and first and only single issued from the LP, ''The Main Event''. The album is the soundtrack for the movie, '' The Main Event'' starring Streisand ...

", and the pair wrote their biggest success with the international smash "

", recorded as a duet by Streisand and Donna Summer. In 1981, he wrote "No Jinx" for

Bette Midler Bette Midler (;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American singer, actress, comedian and author. Throughout her career, which spans over five decades, Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Be ...

as the theme tune to her movie ''

Jinxed! ''Jinxed!'' (also branded as ''Jinxed'' on promotional media) is a 1982 American comedy film starring Bette Midler, Rip Torn and Ken Wahl. The film was the last to be directed by Don Siegel, who suffered a heart attack during production. Sam Peck ...

''.

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

scored a 1982 UK top hit with his song "Work That Body". In 1982, Two Tons O' Fun, renaming themselves as

, agreed to record his song "It's Raining Men", previously rejected by Summer, Streisand,

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

and Ross. The song became an international hit, topping the US Dance chart and peaking at #2 in the UK. That song was re-recorded in 1998 by

RuPaul RuPaul Andre Charles (born November 17, 1960; stylized as RuPaul) is an American drag queen, television personality, actor, musician, and model. Best known for producing, hosting, and judging the reality competition series ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' ...

and

Martha Wash Martha Elaine Wash (born December 28, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer. Known for her distinctive and powerful voice, Wash first achieved fame as half of the Two Tons O' Fun, who sang backing vocals for the disco si ...

as "It's Raining Men...The Sequel" and later by

Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...

in 2001 when it reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The original Weather Girls' recording of "It's Raining Men" was included on Jabara's 1983 album ''

Paul Jabara & Friends ''Paul Jabara & Friends'' is the fourth studio album by American actor, singer and songwriter Paul Jabara, best known for writing Donna Summer's hit " Last Dance" and the Summer/Barbra Streisand duet "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)". The album i ...

'', which included one of the early recordings by then 19-year-old

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

on "Eternal Love" (previously recorded by

Stephanie Mills Stephanie Dorthea Mills (born March 22, 1957) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to stardom as "Dorothy" in the original seven-time Tony Award winning Broadway run of the musical ''The Wiz'' from 1974 to 1979. The song " Home" from t ...

) as well as a Jabara/Diana Ross co-write "Ladies Hot Line." Other songs Jabara had covered by major artists include "Hope" by

Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, during which he ba ...

(1981), "Two Lovers" by

Julio Iglesias Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record ...

(1984) and "This Girl's Back in Town" by

Raquel Welch Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress. She first won attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer ...

(1987). In 1986, Jabara released his final album, the concept musical '' De La Noche: The True Story – A Poperetta'', featuring guest vocals from Leata Galloway,

Diva Gray Diva Gray is an American singer. She is best known as a background vocalist behind the band Chic, as well as in disco groups, including Change, and Lemon with Lani Groves, Gordon Grody, Luther Vandross, David Lasley and Kenny Lehman, and in Bette ...

and

Pattie Brooks Pattie Brooks (sometimes credited as Patti Brooks and Patty Brooks) is an American singer most frequently associated with the disco era. She was born in Fort Riley, Kansas to a military family. Her first break came in 1968 when she auditioned fo ...

. In 2005, a workshop of a musical titled ''Last Dance'' played New York City. It was a musical assembled from Jabara's well known disco songs and told the story of a modern-day teenager who goes back in time to spend one night at

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...

Death

On September 29, 1992, Jabara died from complications from AIDS in Los Angeles, California at the age of 44. He is buried at

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several bl ...

. On June 14, 2014, Jabara was featured in the first gay-themed tour of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Discography

Studio albums

* ''

'' (Casablanca Records, 1977) * ''

Keeping Time ''Keeping Time'' is the second studio album by American actor, singer and songwriter Paul Jabara. The album, which was released on Casablanca Records in 1978, includes Jabara's song "Trapped in a Stairway" from the movie ''Thank God It's Friday ...

'' (Casablanca, 1978) * '' The Third Album'' (Casablanca, 1979) * ''

'', with

, Leata Galloway,

(Columbia/CBS, 1983) * '' De La Noche: The True Story - A Poperetta'' with Leata Galloway (Warner Bros., 1986)

Soundtracks and compilations

* ''Original Soundtrack - Thank God It's Friday'' * '' Greatest Hits... and Misses'' (Casablanca/PolyGram, 1989) * ''The Casablanca Records Story'' (PolyGram, 1994) * ''

Mother, Jugs and Speed ''Mother, Jugs & Speed'' is a 1976 American black comedy film directed by Peter Yates. It stars Bill Cosby (Mother), Raquel Welch (Jugs), Harvey Keitel (Speed), and Larry Hagman as employees of an independent ambulance service trying to survive i ...

'' soundtrack

Singles

* "One Man Ain't Enough" (1975) * "Dance" (1976) * "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1976) * "

" duet with Donna Summer (1977) * "Slow Dancing" (1977) * " Dancin' (Lift Your Spirits Higher)" (1978) * "Pleasure Island" (1978) * "Take Good Care of My Baby" / "What's a Girl to Do", Paul Jabara &

(1978) * "Trapped in a Stairway" (1978) * "Disco Queen" (1978) * "Saturday Matinee" (1978) * " Never Lose Your Sense of Humor", duet with Donna Summer (1979) * "Disco Wedding" (1979) * "Honeymoon (In Puerto Rico)" (1979) * "Disco Divorce" (1979) * "Ocho Rios" (1986) * "This Girl's Back in Town" (1986)

Filmography

* ''

'' (1969) - The Party #2 * ''

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

'' (1969) - Pelias * '' The Out-of-Towners'' (1970) - First Hippie (uncredited) * ''Necropolis'' (1970) * ''

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me ''Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me'' is a novel by Richard Fariña. Parts campus novel and travelogue, the book was first published in 1966 and is largely based on Fariña's college experiences and travels. Set variously in an upstat ...

'' (1971) - Heap * ''

The Ski Bum ''The Ski Bum'' is a novel by Lithuanian- French author Romain Gary (1914–1980). French translation was published in 1969 under the title 'Adieu Gary Cooper'. The novel tells the story of Lenni, a 21-year-old boy escaping from America, his cou ...

'' (1971) - Rocco * ''Blu Gang e vissero per sempre felici e ammazzati'' (1973) - Teddy Fog * ''

The Lords of Flatbush ''The Lords of Flatbush'' (stylized on-screen as ''The Lord's of Flatbush'') is a 1974 American drama film directed by Martin Davidson and Stephen F. Verona. The film stars Perry King, Sylvester Stallone, Paul Mace and Henry Winkler. Stallone w ...

'' (1974) - Crazy Cohen * ''

'' (1975) - Nightclub Entertainer * '' Peeper'' (1975) - Janitor * '' Thank God It's Friday'' (1978) - Carl * ''

'' (1981) - T.J. Tupus * ''

Legal Eagles ''Legal Eagles'' is a 1986 American legal romantic comedy mystery crime thriller film directed by Ivan Reitman, written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps, Jr. from a story by Reitman and the screenwriters, and starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and ...

'' (1986) - Taxi Driver * ''

Les Patterson Saves the World ''Les Patterson Saves the World'' is a 1987 Australian comedy film starring Barry Humphries as his stage creations Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage. Plot The uncouth Sir Les Patterson teams up with Dame Edna Everage (both played by Barry ...

'' (1987) - Leroy * ''

Slaves of New York ''Slaves of New York'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama Merchant Ivory Productions film. Directed by James Ivory and produced by Ismail Merchant, it stars Bernadette Peters, Adam Coleman Howard, Chris Sarandon, Mary Beth Hurt, Mercedes Ruehl, Ma ...

'' (1989) - Derelict * ''9 1/2 Ninjas!'' (1991) - Mr. Ninja, voice * ''

Light Sleeper ''Light Sleeper'' is a 1992 American crime drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader and starring Willem Dafoe, Susan Sarandon, and Dana Delany. Set in New York City during a sanitation strike, the gritty neo-noir film stars Dafoe as a high ...

'' (1992) - Eddie

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Jabara, Paul 1948 births 1992 deaths 20th-century American male musicians American male songwriters American people of Lebanese descent Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Grammy Award winners Donna Summer LGBT composers American LGBT actors American LGBT songwriters LGBT people from New York (state) Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters Golden Globe Award-winning musicians AIDS-related deaths in California American disco singers