Howard Ashman was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and later relocated to New York City in 1974, where he began his career as a playwright and editor.
He quickly gained recognition for his work and was appointed as the artist director of WPA Theatre in 1977.
Ashman's breakthrough came in 1982 when he collaborated with composer Alan Menken on the off-Broadway musical "Little Shop of Horrors", which became one of the highest-grossing musicals of its time.
The successful partnership between Ashman and Menken then shifted their focus to movies, where they created songs for Disney's "The Little Mermaid" in 1989.
Their work on the film earned them an Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Under the Sea".
Ashman went on to write the lyrics for the songs in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991, and he and Menken won another Oscar for the title song.
Despite being diagnosed with AIDS and his health rapidly declining, Ashman continued to compose songs, even contributing to the soundtrack of Disney's "Aladdin" in 1992.
Tragically, Ashman passed away from AIDS on March 14, 1991, at the age of 40, leaving behind a legacy of iconic songs and a profound impact on the world of music and film.
