Lee Guber (November 20, 1920 – March 27, 1988) was an American theater impresario, who produced several Broadway theatre productions and developed a chain of entertainment venues in suburban locations along the East Coast.
He attended Central High School, where he met his future business partner Shelly Gross, when they were assigned to sit next to each other in alphabetical order.
The group brought in many star performers, including Jack Benny, Maurice Chevalier, Perry Como, Sammy Davis Jr., Bobby Vinton, Dionne Warwick, Andy Williams and Stevie Wonder, along with such Broadway shows as traveling productions of Cabaret, Fiddler on the Roof, George M!
[1] In December 1963 Guber was married to Barbara Walters, then a reporter for NBC, beginning a marriage that lasted 13 years.
[4] Guber enjoyed playing squash and tennis, and was described by The New York Times as "an accomplished cook" who learned his culinary skills from James Beard.
[1][5] A resident of Manhattan's Upper East Side, Guber died at age 67 on March 27, 1988, at his home due to brain cancer.