- published: 25 Mar 2016
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Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera.
Ebb was born in Manhattan, to Anna Evelyn (née Gritz) and Harry Ebb. He had two sisters, Norma and Estelle. He worked during the early 1950s bronzing baby shoes, as a trucker's assistant, and was also employed in a department store credit office and at a hosiery company. He graduated from New York University with a bachelor's degree in English Literature, and also earned his master's degree in English from Columbia University.
One of his early collaborators was Phil Springer, and a song they wrote together ("I Never Loved Him Anyhow") was recorded by Carmen McRae in 1956. Another song Ebb wrote with Springer was "Heartbroken" (1953), which was recorded by Judy Garland, the mother of his future protégée, Liza Minnelli. Other Springer-Ebb tunes include "Moonlight Gambler" and "Nevertheless I Never Lost the Blues". "Don't Forget", which he wrote with Norman Leyden, was recorded by singer Eddy Arnold in 1954.
David Hyde Pierce (born April 3, 1959) is an American actor and comedian.
Pierce is known for playing the psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane on the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series during the show's run.
Pierce was born David Pierce in Saratoga Springs, New York. His father, George Hyde Pierce (deceased), was an aspiring actor, and his mother, Laura Marie (née Hughes; deceased), was an insurance agent. He added his middle name "Hyde" to avoid confusion with another actor named David Pierce.
As a child, Pierce frequently played organ at the local Bethesda Episcopal Church.
While attending Yale, Pierce performed in and directed student productions, appearing in the Yale Gilbert & Sullivan Society's production of H.M.S. Pinafore. He also directed the Gilbert & Sullivan Society's operetta Princess Ida. Among other roles Pierce played at Yale were in Waiting for Godot, Saint Joan, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
See through these eyes.
Faces change a millions times.
Like rats they come and go.
And their teeth are sinking deeper Into the skin
tearing holes in this place I've called my home.
Where I can let go of everything inside.
Through these eyes.
This is the only place where I forget everything.
Through these eyes.
This is the only place where I can lose my mind.
I'm holding on,
This is all I've got.
Everything else lays in pieces.
This is all I've got.
I've got no other place to break this cage.
Break this cage!