Is that the Buddy Ebsen of The Beverly Hillbillies, Barnaby Jones and MGM musicals?
Yes, it’s the same Buddy Ebsen who has had numerous careers. He was primarily a dancer (like Ray Bolger). We wrote mostly funny songs like, WITHHOLDIN’ MAMA, YOU’RE TAXIN’ PAPA. We also wrote the title song for the film, BEHAVE YOURSELF, starring Shelley Winters and Farley Granger. When did you start writing lyrics? With Lehman Engel’s encouragement, I started writing lyrics when I was 60. My greatest thrill came when Stephen Sondheim heard my work and recommended to Burton Lane that he should write a show with me as lyricist. We started working on a show but it was never completed, and Burton passed away. Of all the songs you’ve written, which do you like the most? Do you have a favorite performance of one of your songs? A song called WHAT’S YOUR NAME? It’s been performed by only three people–Bobby Short, Michael Feinstein and, right now, Eric Comstock is doing it at the Algonquin in New York. Although Sinatra’s version of NICE ‘N’ EASY is great, I am crazy about a version by the lat
