# Tim Hauser
**Tim Hauser** (Timothy DuPron Hauser; December 12, 1941 – October 16, 2014) was an American singer, producer, and entrepreneur who founded the vocal quartet [The Manhattan Transfer](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-manhattan-transfer) and led it for more than four decades, winning 10 [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards) and recording more than 20 albums with the group.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) He was the only member common to both incarnations of the group, the first formed in 1969 and the second, which lasted from 1972 until his death, built around the four-part harmony sound that made the quartet internationally known.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1941, Troy, New York; October 16, 2014, Sayre, Pennsylvania, aged 72[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) |
| First group | Formed the original Manhattan Transfer in 1969 with Gene Pistilli, Marty Nelson, Erin Dickins, and Pat Rosalia; recorded one album, *Jukin'*, on Capitol[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) |
| Second group | Re-formed The Manhattan Transfer on October 1, 1972, with Laurel Massé, Janis Siegel, and Alan Paul[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) |
| Early production | At 17 produced "Harlem Nocturne" for The Viscounts, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard chart in 1959[3](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tim-hauser-20141018-story.html) |
| Grammy record | 10 Grammy Awards with the group; the 1985 album *Vocalese* received 12 nominations[4](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/history) |
| Solo album | *Love Stories*, released September 5, 2007, on King Records in Japan[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) |
| Other work | Produced Richie Cole's *Pop Bop*, Eddie Jefferson's final session, and the soundtrack of *The Marrying Man*, in which he acted as Woody the bandleader; later marketed a pasta sauce, "I Made Sauce"[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) |
## Early life and first groups
Hauser was born in [Troy, New York](https://www.edgepedia.org/troy-new-york), to F. Jackson Hauser, an insurance adjuster, and his wife Theresa, a school secretary; the family moved to the New Jersey shore when he was seven, living in Ocean Township and Asbury Park.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser) At St. Rose [High School](https://www.edgepedia.org/high-school) in Belmar he sang in the glee club and began singing professionally at 15, founding a teenage doo wop, R&B, and rock and roll quintet called The Criterions, which recorded for the Laurie label and appeared on [Alan Freed](https://www.edgepedia.org/alan-freed)'s *Big Beat* television show.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) Their 1959 single "I Remain Truly Yours" reached No. 24 on the New York charts.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser)
A formative experience came in 1956, when he sat in on a rehearsal by [Frankie Lymon](https://www.edgepedia.org/frankie-lymon) and the Teenagers. "They sang 'I Promise to Remember,' a cappella," he told the Asbury Park Press in 2012. "I swear that was my turning point."[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html)
At [Villanova University](https://www.edgepedia.org/villanova-university) he sang with the Villanova Singers alongside his classmate [Jim Croce](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-croce) and formed the folk trio The Troubadours Three with former Criterions Tommy West and Jim Ruf; the trio toured on the "Hootenanny Stars of 1963" bill. He graduated in 1963 with a BA in Economics, then served in the Air Force and the New Jersey Air National Guard.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) He spent the mid-1960s in advertising and market research, first at the ad firm SS&B and then as manager of the Market Research Department of the Special Products Division of Nabisco, before leaving business at 28 to pursue music.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser)
## The Manhattan Transfer
**First incarnation.** In 1969 Hauser formed the first Manhattan Transfer, named after [John Dos Passos](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-dos-passos)'s 1925 novel, with Gene Pistilli, Marty Nelson, Erin Dickins, and Pat Rosalia. The group recorded one album, *Jukin'*, on Capitol, and dissolved in the early 1970s over differences in direction: Pistilli favored a country-western and "Memphis" R&B sound, while Hauser wanted jazz and swing.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser)
**The 1972 quartet.** Supporting himself as a New York night-shift cab driver, Hauser picked up the aspiring singer Laurel Massé one night in 1972; she knew *Jukin'* and wanted to form a group.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) A later fare, the conga player for the group Laurel Canyon, led him to Janis Siegel, and the two women agreed to re-form The Manhattan Transfer with him. Alan Paul, then appearing in the Broadway cast of *Grease*, completed the quartet, which officially came together on October 1, 1972.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser)
After building a following on the New York cabaret circuit, where audience members included [Mick Jagger](https://www.edgepedia.org/mick-jagger), David Bowie, and [Ahmet Ertegun](https://www.edgepedia.org/ahmet-ertegun), the group was signed by Ertegun to [Atlantic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/atlantic-records), which released their self-titled debut album in 1975; Ertegun co-produced it with Hauser.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser) The single "Chanson d'Amour" topped the British singles chart in March 1977, and the group placed further British hits with "Walk in Love," "On a Little Street in Singapore," and "Spice of Life."[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser)
**Grammy success.** In 1981 the group became the first vocal group to win Grammy Awards in both pop and jazz categories in one year: Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for "Boy From New York City" and Best Jazz Performance by a Duo or Group for "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)."[4](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/history) Their first Grammy, in 1980, was for a vocalese version of [Weather Report](https://www.edgepedia.org/weather-report)'s "Birdland," in which Hauser's voice mimicked the bass lines of [Jaco Pastorius](https://www.edgepedia.org/jaco-pastorius) note for note.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser) The 1985 album *Vocalese*, which put lyrics to 11 instrumental jazz tunes, received 12 Grammy nominations, second at the time only to [Michael Jackson](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-jackson)'s *Thriller* for a single year.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html)
Massé left after a near-fatal car accident in the late 1970s and was replaced by Cheryl Bentyne; sources date the change to 1978[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser) or 1979.[4](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/history) With no further personnel changes, the lineup of Hauser, Siegel, Paul, and Bentyne recorded more than 20 albums and won 10 Grammy Awards.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) Hauser told the Los Angeles Times in 1991 that the group had no fixed lead singer: "Everybody gets their shot."[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html)
## Role in the group
Hauser was the group's organizer, musical historian, and producer. He developed the concept of two men and two women singing complex interweaving parts while still a Villanova student, an idea a professor compared to voicing the Count Basie saxophone section.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) He shaped the quartet's image, insisting that its stage appearance dovetail with its music, and his A&R suggestions produced several of the group's signature recordings, including "Operator," "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," "Corner Pocket," and "Tuxedo Junction."[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) • [6](https://www.jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/farewell-tim-hauser/?v=a672068055fa) Janis Siegel credited him with opening the group to the music of the 1930s and 1940s, doo-wop, and composers from Joseph Schillinger to Edgard Varèse.[6](https://www.jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/farewell-tim-hauser/?v=a672068055fa)
Beyond the group, he produced Richie Cole's *Pop Bop* and Eddie Jefferson's final recording session, produced and acted in *The Marrying Man*, and released one solo album, *Love Stories*, for the Japanese label King in 2007.[2](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser) • [3](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tim-hauser-20141018-story.html) In 2014 he launched a commercially sold pasta sauce, "I Made Sauce."[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser)
## Death
In 2013 Hauser underwent spinal surgery, and Trist Curless of the Los Angeles a cappella group m-pact substituted for him on the road.[4](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/history) On October 16, 2014, while traveling to a show in New York state, he was hospitalized with pneumonia and died at a hospital in Sayre, Pennsylvania, at 72.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) • [7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2014/10/18/tim-hauser-founder-manhattan-transfer/HNpa1pFN6ou50PbCaEFLuL/story.html) The cause was reported as cardiac arrest by his sister and the band's representative, while other accounts cited heart failure or complications from pneumonia.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) • [7](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2014/10/18/tim-hauser-founder-manhattan-transfer/HNpa1pFN6ou50PbCaEFLuL/story.html) Curless became an official member after his death, forming the third incarnation of the group.[4](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/history)
Hauser was survived by his third wife, Barb Sennet Hauser, a son, Basie, a daughter, Lily, and his sister Fayette.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html) "Tim was the visionary behind The Manhattan Transfer," his bandmates said in a statement. "It's incomprehensible to think of this world without him."[3](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tim-hauser-20141018-story.html)
## References
1. [Tim Hauser, founder of the Grammy-winning vocal group Manhattan Transfer, dies at 72, The Washington Post (2014)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/tim-hauser-founder-of-the-grammy-winning-vocal-group-manhattan-transfer-dies-at-72/2014/10/18/1a7696ea-56d9-11e4-ba4b-f6333e2c0453_story.html)
2. [Tim Hauser, The Manhattan Transfer official site](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/voices/tim-hauser)
3. [Tim Hauser dies at 72; founder of Manhattan Transfer, Los Angeles Times (2014)](https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-tim-hauser-20141018-story.html)
4. [The Story of the Manhattan Transfer, official band history](https://www.manhattantransfer.net/history)
5. [Tim Hauser obituary, The Guardian (2014)](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/19/tim-hauser)
6. [Farewell: Tim Hauser, JazzTimes (2014)](https://www.jazztimes.com/features/tributes-and-obituaries/farewell-tim-hauser/?v=a672068055fa)
7. [Tim Hauser, 72; was founder of the Manhattan Transfer, The Boston Globe (2014)](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/obituaries/2014/10/18/tim-hauser-founder-manhattan-transfer/HNpa1pFN6ou50PbCaEFLuL/story.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › Traditional pop and vocal standards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license