B"H

Ralph Freed was a dear, sweet, talented man. The close friendship between his family and mine lasted well over three decades. He, his darling wife, Gracie, and their daughters, Connie and Vickie, are among my earliest and most precious memories. I still find it remarkable that my father, Jakob Gimpel, the great classical pianist, and Ralph Freed,the great pop-song lyricist, should have got so much from each other's company despite the vast differences in their musical backgrounds.

More should be done to preserve Ralph's musical legacy. His songs had a special charm and humor and gave much pleasure to a generation of innocence.

Peter Gimpel, Publisher, redheiferpress.com; Curator, gimpelmusicarchives.com