Item 1036 - Rusty bells

Richard Ahlert was a songwriter and composer. His compositions were performed and recorded by artists such as Perry Como, who performed ''My Days of Loving You,'' and Aretha Franklin, ''Running Out of Fools.'' He also composed the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical, ''Adam,'' for which his wife, June, wrote the book.

Richard graduated from the Juilliard School of Music at age 17. He played clarinet in a U.S. Army band in World War II and later with the Ray Anthony Orchestra. He began writing and publishing in the 1950s and was a member of the American Guild of Authors and Composers and of the board of review of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). He won an ASCAP award of merit in 1971 for his country song, ''Pencil Marks on the Wall.''