Bart Howard, 88; Pianist, Cabaret Composer Wrote ‘Fly Me to the Moon’

Bart Howard, a cabaret composer and pianist who wrote such hits as “Fly Me to the Moon” and “Let Me Love You,” has died. He was 88.

Howard died Saturday in Carmel, N.Y., of complications from a stroke. He lived in North Salem, N.Y.

Among those who recorded the songwriter’s work were Frank Sinatra, Johnny Mathis and Mabel Mercer, for whom Howard worked as an accompanist.

Howard’s best-known song was “Fly Me to the Moon,” introduced in 1954 under the title “In Other Words.”

“One publisher wanted me to change the lyric to ‘take me to the moon,’ ” Howard told the New York Times in 1988. “Had I done that, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

Howard did agree, however, to follow the suggestion of singer Peggy Lee in 1963 to change the song’s title to its current “Fly Me to the Moon.” Eventually, royalties amounted to more than $1 million, providing Howard a comfortable lifestyle.

First performed in 1954 by cabaret singer Felicia Sanders, the song originally was recorded by Kaye Ballard. The ballad gained widespread popularity in 1960 when Lee sang it on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and finally became a hit when Lee’s conductor, Jose Harnell, recorded it as an instrumental bossa nova in 1962.

Over the years, the song Howard said “just fell out of me” has been recorded more than 300 times -- twice by Sinatra -- in several languages. Ironically, its economic success caused Howard to curtail his songwriting.

Born Howard Joseph Gustafson in Burlington, Iowa, he studied piano in his youth and left home at 16 to tour with Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. Three years later, he moved to Los Angeles, hoping to write songs for Hollywood.

Instead, he became accompanist to female impersonator Rae Bourbon, and in 1937 moved to New York as accompanist to impersonator and comedian Elizabeth Talbot-Martin.

A year later, Howard met Mercer when she immigrated to New York from England, and the two became close friends and colleagues.

After serving as an Army musician during World War II, Howard worked for four years as her accompanist. For her 50th birthday, he wrote a whimsical waltz, “All in All It Was Worth It.”

He also wrote a song for Sinatra, “The Man in the Looking Glass,” included on the singer’s classic album “September of My Years.”

Throughout the 1950s, Howard worked as master of ceremonies and pianist at New York’s Blue Angel nightclub, introducing such performers as Mathis and Eartha Kitt.

Howard idolized songwriter Cole Porter, who once advised him to learn to sing his own songs. Yet Howard never sang publicly until he was 73, and that was for a benefit for a museum in his hometown of North Salem.

Cabaret singer K.T. Sullivan recorded an album of Howard’s songs in 1997, “In Other Words.” In 1999, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Among Howard’s other songs were the lyrics for “Don’t Dream of Anybody but Me,” and words and music for “My Love Is a Wanderer,” “Year After Year,” “Welcome Home, Angelina” and “Perfect Stranger.”

Howard is survived by his companion of 58 years, Thomas Fowler; and a sister, Dorothy Lind.