Hair composer Galt MacDermot dies

Hair composer Galt Macdermot has died on the eve of his 90th birthday.
The writer and pianist passed away on Monday (17Dec18).
Born in Montreal, Canada, Galt first rose to prominence in the early 1960s, when his song African Waltz was recorded by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, earning him his first Grammy Award.
He went on to compose the music for the original stage production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical with writers Gerome Ragni and James Rado, and it became a smash hit, with the cast recording landing Galt his second Grammy for Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album. He later contributed to the 1979 film version, simply titled Hair.
MacDermot also found success with the 1971 Broadway adaptation of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona, which claimed the Tony Award for Best Musical, while his other productions included Isabel’s a Jezebel, Dude, and The Human Comedy.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2009, and a year later (10), was feted with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada.
His music was also heavily sampled by early hip-hop stars, including Run-D.M.C., Gang Starr, Busta Rhymes, and the late producer J Dilla.
Paying tribute on Instagram, The Roots bandleader Questlove wrote, “King Galt. The Broadway community is mourning his passing this morning… but best believe he was the hip-hop community’s too.”
And pioneering producer DJ Premier added, “R.I.P. to Another Incredible Icon of Original Music.”