Paul Jabara; Actor and Songwriter

Paul Jabara, an actor and songwriter who won both an Academy Award and a Grammy for “Last Dance,” the song featured in the 1978 film “Thank God It’s Friday” and made popular by Donna Summer, is dead.

His sister, Claudette Hadad, said he was 44 when he died Tuesday at his home in Los Angeles after what she called a long illness.

Sabara, who made his Broadway acting debut in “Hair,” interspersed his dramatic work with his songs.

Among his other compositions are “The Main Event,” recorded by Barbra Streisand; “Enough Is Enough,” (both Summer and Streisand); “Work That Body,” (Diana Ross) and “Two Lovers,” (Julio Iglesias).

He also sang on several of his own albums, “Shut Out,” “Keeping Time,” “Paul Jabara,” and “De La Noche” among them.

Born in Brooklyn, he wrote the book and music for the stage musical “Rachael Lily Rosenbloom” when he was 24 and then joined the cast of “The Rocky Horror Show” in New York.

He also is survived by another sister, Delores. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Hollywood Hills.