Louis St. Louis (May 26, 1942 - March 26, 2021) was an American songwriter, singer, pianist, arranger, conductor, and musical director. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he built a career across Broadway, film, and popular music, earning his widest recognition through his work on Grease and Grease 2.
St. Louis was part of the creative team behind the original stage production of Grease, which premiered in New York in 1972. Although Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey wrote the book, music, and lyrics, St. Louis played a central role in shaping the production's musical identity. His credits included musical direction, vocal arrangements, dance arrangements, and musical supervision. The combination of rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and theatrical ensemble writing became one of the defining features of the show, and St. Louis helped translate its rougher Chicago origins into a form suitable for the Broadway stage.
His most prominent songwriting credit came with "Sandy," written with Scott Simon of Sha Na Na for the 1978 film version of Grease. The song was performed by John Travolta as Danny Zuko and became one of the movie's most recognizable ballads. Travolta's recording reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1978, giving St. Louis one of his most visible successes as a composer.
St. Louis also appeared as a performer on the Grease soundtrack. He sang "Rock 'n' Roll Party Queen" and performed "Mooning" with Cidny Bullens. Both songs originated in the stage musical and were associated with the character Roger, whose role was removed from the film. His involvement therefore extended beyond songwriting and arranging: he was also one of the musicians who helped give the soundtrack its distinctive vocal and instrumental character. He received credits on the soundtrack as a composer, arranger, vocalist, keyboard player, and producer.
His later film work included Grease 2 (1982), for which he served as composer and producer. St. Louis wrote or co-wrote several songs for the sequel, including "Back to School Again," "Who's That Guy?," "Charades," "(Love Will) Turn Back the Hands of Time," and "Score Tonight." While the film was less successful than its predecessor, the soundtrack demonstrated his ability to adapt the Grease formula to the more polished pop sound of the early 1980s.
St. Louis maintained strong ties to the theater throughout his career. His Broadway and theatrical credits included Soon, Over Here!, Truckload, Raggedy Ann, Roza, and Smokey Joe's Cafe. For Smokey Joe's Cafe, the revue built around songs by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, he served as arranger, conductor, pianist, and musical director. These roles reflected the breadth of his professional work: he could compose material, prepare vocal and dance arrangements, lead an orchestra, and perform onstage or in the studio.
He also contributed to productions and recordings connected with The Wild Party, The Fan, All the Right Moves, and later theatrical projects. In addition to his writing and arranging, he worked as a producer and musical supervisor. Louis St. Louis died in Englewood, New Jersey, on March 26, 2021, aged 78. His legacy rests chiefly on the enduring musical world of Grease, where his work helped connect Broadway showmanship with the sound of commercial pop.