Jerry Bock

Two of the three authors of Fiddler on the Roof died in ten days . On October 24, 2010, Joseph Stein , the playwright who wrote the text of the famous musical, left us. One of those who spoke at his funeral was Jerry Bock, the musician who wove the score. On November 3, Bock was also surprised by death at the age of 81, at the Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco (New York), as a result of a heart attack. Of the three responsible for the memorable musical that led to the Norman Jewison film , Sheldon Harnick, the lyricist, survives.

Born on November 23, 1928 in New Haven, Connecticut, although he grew up in Queens, New York, Jerrold Lewis Bock studied piano as a child. During his student days at the University of Wisconsin, he wrote a musical, “Big as Life”, which was performed with some success by various populations.

After spending a stint as a composer for early television shows, he made his Broadway debut with “Catch a Star,” for which he composed songs with lyricist Larry Holofcener. His best works were composed after meeting the aforementioned writer Sheldon Harnick, with whom he achieved great success thanks to the musical “Fiorello!”, a biography of a New York mayor, and also with other titles, including “She Loves Me” and of course  El fiddler on the roof

Bock was active for many years, composing numerous songs for musicals, which have appeared in films such as  The Godfather II ,  A Made in Hollywood Ending , etc. He is survived by Patti, his wife, two children and a grandson.