Glen Roven was an American composer, lyricist, conductor and producer.
Roven began his career as a rehearsal pianist for Pippin while still in high school, and at nineteen was the musical director of Sugar Babies (with Mickey Rooney and Ann Miller) on Broadway.
Roven was a veteran of the music and entertainment industry. He wrote songs for, conducted and produced for Julie Andrews, Melissa Etheridge, Aretha Franklin, Kenny G., Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Patti LaBelle, Liza Minnelli, Diana Ross, Paul Shaffer, and Martin Short, among others.
Roven was a six-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning two. He shared an Emmy for outstanding achievement in music direction in 1986 for the 40th annual Tony Awards, and won in the same category in 1996 for Sinatra: 80 Years My Way. He conducted Sammy Davis Jr.’s final television appearance, as well as four presidential inaugurations.
At the time of his passing, Roven was at work on a new movie-musical for Dolly Parton on Netflix, and had just completed a new symphony, Symphony of Songs, a new opera, Addressee Unknown, and a new Broadway musical, World War Me.
Roven died July 25, 2018, in New York City, New York. He was 60.