Aaron Latham (October 3, 1943 – July 23, 2022) was an American journalist and screenwriter who was known for the films Urban Cowboy (1980), Perfect (1985), and The Program (1993).

Biography

Latham was born on October 3, 1943, in Spur, Texas. He was raised in a Methodist family, the son of Annie Launa (Cozby) and Cecil Clyde Latham. Latham attended Amherst College, where he studied literature and served as an editor on the Amherst Student, the college newspaper, graduating in 1966.

Aaron Latham

Career

He was a regular contributor to such publications as Rolling Stone, Esquire, Talk, and The New York Times. He wrote the article that inspired the 1980 movie Urban Cowboy and co-wrote its script with director James Bridges. He also co-wrote the book for the short-lived 2003 Broadway musical version. He also wrote novels and co-wrote the screenplays Perfect, also with Bridges, another film inspired by his articles, and The Program.

Aaron Latham

Personal life

Latham married CBS News and 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl in 1977. Their daughter is named Taylor. He died of complications from Parkinson’s disease on July 23, 2022, at the age of 78.

Aaron Latham

References

External links

Production: Urban Cowboy Working in the Theatre Seminar video at American Theatre Wing.org, April 2003

1943 births

2022 deaths

American male screenwriters

American musical theatre librettists

People from Spur, Texas

American male dramatists and playwrights

Place of birth missing

American dramatists and playwrights

Journalists from Texas

20th-century American journalists

American male journalists

American male non-fiction writers

Screenwriters from Texas