Kenneth William Hirsch is an American pop songwriter, pianist and

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

, co-writer of the international 1982 hit " I've Never Been to Me" 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". He was born in New York City, attended the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named afte ...

and got a BA from

Queens College Queens College (QC) is a public college in the New York City borough of Queens. Part of the City University of New York system, Queens College occupies an campus primarily located in Flushing. Queens College was established in 1937 and offe ...

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 was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David was born and raised in New ...

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 Hal ...

Gerry Goffin Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits " Will You L ...

Carole Bayer Sager Carole Bayer Sager (born Carol Bayer on March 8, 1944) is an American lyricist, singer, songwriter, and painter. Early life and career Carole Bayer was born in New York City, to Anita Nathan Bayer and Eli Bayer. Her family was Jewish. She gradu ...

, 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. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American jazz and soul singer. She is known for her soulful ballads, particularly from the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career in the late 1970s with the funk ban ...

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

, Charlene,

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

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

Air Supply Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975, consisting of Englishman Graham Russell (vocals, guitar) and Australian Russell Hitchcock (vocals). With record sales of 100 million worldwide, they had a suc ...

Regina Belle Regina 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 (Regina Belle song), Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle is most notabl ...

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...

, Millie Jackson,

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Knight & the Pips, which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight and cousins Will ...

, Latoya London,

Phyllis Hyman Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman's music career spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s, and she was best known for her expansive contralto range. Some of her most ...

Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...

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 (born Genyusha Zelkowitz; April 19, 1940), also known as Goldie, is an American rock music, rock singer and music producer. She was lead singer of the Escorts, Goldie and the Gingerbreads, and Ten Wheel Drive. Early life Genyusha Zel ...

Dionne Warwick Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...

, Nancy Wilson,

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American Soul music, soul and R&B singer and songwriter. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pendergrass lived most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initial ...

, and

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

. 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 a 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 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 has numerous Broadway credits, including ''Hello, Dolly! (mus ...

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 in the 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 Barney Martin (March 3, 1923 – March 21, 2005) was an American actor, best known for playing Morty Seinfeld, father of Jerry, on the sitcom ''Seinfeld'' (1991–1998). He also played supporting roles in Mel Brooks's '' The Producers'' (1967 ...

and also Eloise Laws. It played at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium 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" (Ken Hirsch, Marti Sharron) -

(1986) on the Grammy award-winning album ''

Rapture The Rapture is an Christian eschatology, eschatological position held by some Christians, particularly those of American evangelicalism, consisting of an end-time event when all dead Christian believers will be resurrected and, joined with Chr ...

'',

(1985) Finders of Lost Love (Dionne Warwick album) *" Two Less Lonely People in the World" -

(1983) * " I've Never Been to Me" ( 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 ''Bowfinger'' is a 1999 American satirical comedy film directed by Frank Oz. The film depicts a down-and-out filmmaker in Hollywood attempting to make a film on a small budget with a star who does not know that he is in the movie. It was writ ...

''. * "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 Wakefield) - 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 (2001) * "Hungry" (Ron Miller, Ken Hirsch) - Charlene * "You're My Star" (Kathy Wakefield, Ken Hirsch) -

The 5th Dimension The 5th Dimension is an American vocal group. Their music encompasses sunshine pop, pop soul, and psychedelic soul. They were an important crossover music act of the 1960s and 1970s, although both praised and derided for their particular music ...

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