Biography
Alan Menken is an American composer and songwriter. Born on 22 July 1949 in New Rochelle, New York, he studied music at New York University and attended the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop. He began his career writing jingles and performing in clubs before collaborating with lyricist Howard Ashman.
Menken is best known for his scores and songs for Disney animated films, including The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and Hercules (1997). He has also composed for live-action remakes such as Beauty and the Beast (2017) and The Little Mermaid (2023), as well as stage musicals including Little Shop of Horrors (1982) and Newsies (1992).
He has won eight Academy Awards, a Tony Award, eleven Grammy Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards and a Daytime Emmy Award, making him one of the few EGOT winners.
