If He Were a Rich Man

Here's my pal Sheldon Harnick (sorry, there's no great need for the adjective, but I just like saying, "my pal Sheldon Harnick") a couple years ago at the age of 88 telling a charming story about how he and Jerry Bock came to write the song, "If I Were a Rich Man" from Fiddler on the Roof.

And, hey, as long as we're on the subject, here the good fellow is, a year before that, singing that very song at a benefit concert.  

You may recall a few days ago I was discussing  the TV series The Songwriters, where famous Broadway songwriters would perform their own songs -- and I said that two of the best were those with Kander & Ebb and with Sheldon Harnick, because they were so good at singing their own songs.  You probably saw Kander & Ebb helping prove my point with them.  So, here is Sheldon Harnick making a true-teller out of me.

It's sort of charming seeing him look down every once in a while to check on the lyrics, considering that it's one of his most famous songs.  But then, it was written 48 years ago at the time... So, he's allowed a little leeway on making sure he gets it right for everyone.