Gerome Ragni was born Jerome Bernard Ragni on September 11, 1935 in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. He began his career as an actor and singer, making his
professional stage debut in Washington D.C. in 1954 with the production of
Shadow and Substance. In 1967, he co-wrote the musical Hair with James Rado and
Galt MacDermot, which opened at The Public Theater in New York City on October
29, 1967. Notable songs from the musical include "Aquarius" and "Good Morning
Starshine". Ragni was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 18,
2009. He passed away on July 10, 1991.