Rod McKuen born 29 April 1933Rod McKuen is a bestselling American poet, composer and singer, instrumental in the revitalisation of popular poetry in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Born in Oakland, California, he ran away from home at an early age to avoid an alcoholic stepfather and after a series of drifter jobs throught the West and a spell with the army in Korea, began to find an audience with his poetry in the 1950s, eventually appearing with Beat poets such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg.
After moving to New York in 1959, he found great success in the 1960s with his poetry and songs. He spent much time in France working with and translating the work of his friend Jacques Brel.
In the late 1960s, McKuen managed to capture in verse the feelings of the student generation in opposition to the Vietnam war and his readings were attended like rock concerts.
He has written many hundreds of songs, including two albums for Frank Sinatra, and collaborated with many including Henry Mancini and John Williams. He has sold millions of albums and written orchestral and film music - his scores for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1970) were Oscar nominated.
A major spell of clinical depression in the 1980s made him withdraw from the limelight. He has long since returned to activity but in a more low-key way and now making full use of the Internet.Always a performer with a social conscience, he has gone from fighting the Vietnam war and apartheid and on to work for AIDS awareness.
Rod McKuen has a partner of 45 years standing.
"It doesn't matter who you love, or how you love, but that you love." - Rod McKuen