Rod McKuen

Rod McKuen was a singer, songwriter and actor best known for his Oscar-nominated song “Jean,” from the 1969 film The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and for his work on the score of the animated film A Boy Named Charlie Brown.

McKuen won a Golden Globe for “Jean” and was nominated for a Grammy along with a team that included Vince Guaraldi for their work on Charlie Brown. McKuen also worked on the films Zodiac, Joanna, Scandalous John and Emily.

Additionally, McKuen composed for the television specials Sinatra and Madonna: Drowned World Tour 2001; the television movies Heidi, The Borrowers and Lisa, Bright and Dark and the TV series The Johnny Cash Show, The Lawrence Welk Show, Dolly, Cheers, Get a Life and One Hit Wonderland.

He also appeared on several series, including Shower of Stars, West Point, The Little Mermaid, General Electric Theater, Shirley Temple's Storybook and The Critic, as well as the films Summer Love, Wild Heritage and The Boneyard Collection.

In the 1960s, McKuen moved to Paris, where he wrote poetry before returning to the U.S. to pursue a career as a singer and composer. He also worked with such renowned artists as Johnny Cash, Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra, the latter of whom recorded an album of McKuen’s songs and poems in 1969, A Man Alone: The Words and Music of Rod McKuen.

Additionally, McKuen published 30 books of poetry, including Listen to the Warm, which sold millions of copies and won a spoken-word Grammy for “Lonesome Cities.”

McKuen died January 29, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California. He was 81.