Ric Marlow, who co-wrote the 1960s pop song “A Taste of Honey” that earned him a Grammy Award and became a huge instrumental hit for Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, has died. He was 91.
Marlow died Feb. 28 in Palm Springs, his stepson, Dalton Teczon, announced.
Marlow also worked as an actor, appearing on such shows as Bonanza, Death Valley Days, Sea Hunt, Hawaii 5-0 and Magnum, P.I.
Marlow and Bobby Scott co-wrote “A Taste of Honey” as the title song for a 1960 Broadway adaptation of Shelagh Delaney’s British play that also was made into a 1961 film directed by Tony Richardson.
Their song won the 1962 Grammy for best instrumental theme. Three years later, Alpert’s version collected four Grammys, including song of the year, and went as high as No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“A Taste of Honey” with Marlow’s lyrics also was recorded by The Beatles, Lenny Welch, Barbra Streisand, Billy Dee Williams, Johnny Mathis, Tony Bennett and scores of others.
A native of New York, Marlow was married in the 1950s to actress Leslie Parrish (L’il Abner, The Manchurian Candidate).
