Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Composer-Lyricist Carol Hall Dies at 82
(© David Gordon)
Carol Hall, best known for her Tony-nominated score for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, has died at the age of 82. Hall had been suffering from a rare form of dementia for the past several years.
Born in Abilene, Texas, Hall won Drama Desk Awards for her score and lyrics to Whorehouse, which played 1,584 performances during its Broadway run and later became a film starring Dolly Parton. Her other theatrical credits include the show's sequel, The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, as well as Good Sports, Paper Moon, Are We There Yet?, To Whom It May Concern, and A Christmas Memory. she wrote songs for A…My Name Is Alice and it's sequel, A…My Name is Still Alice, as well as Hats!.
Through the years, Hall's songs have been performed by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Tony Bennett, Harry Belafonte, Ann Hampton Callaway, Big Bird, RuPaul, and Kermit the Frog. She was a lifetime member of the Dramatists Guild Council and served as a longtime vice president of the Dramatists Guild Fund.
Hall is survived by her husband, Leonard Majzlin, as well as her sister, children, and grandson.
