Randy Newman biography

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Profile

Singer, songwriter, composer. Born on November 28, 1943, in Los Angeles, California. Known for his well-crafted lyrics and appealing melodies, Randy Newman is known for such songs as ??Short People,?? ??I Love L.A.,?? ??Mama Told Me Not to Come,?? and many more. The nephew of three successful Hollywood composers and conductors, he began studying the piano at age seven and was writing songs professionally when he was 17.

After letting others such as Judy Collins, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, and Joni Mitchell sing his songs, Newman took to performing at colleges and nightclubs in the late 1960s. He earned a reputation for both his inimitable piano and vocal style, which combined the casual with highly mannered effects, and for his lyrics, which sardonically dissected politics and society. He released several popular albums including Randy Newman (1968), Sail Away (1972), and Little Criminals (1978). Among his later albums are Land of Dreams (1988) and Bad Love (1999).

In addition to career in rock music, Newman began composing film scores, starting with Cold Turkey in 1971. He received two Academy Award nominations for his score and his song ??One More Hour?? for the film Ragtime (1981). His work on The Natural (1984) also earned him nominations in both categories as well as a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. Newman also garnered Academy Award nominations for his work on Parenthood (1989), Avalon (1990), The Paper (1994), James and the Giant Peach (1996), and several others.

Newman has continued to thrive as a film composer and songwriter, and finally won an Academy Award for his song ??If I Didn??t Have You?? from the 2001 animated tale Monsters, Inc. (It also won a Grammy Award as well.) Most recently, Newman contributed to the soundtrack for the Disney-Pixar animated film Cars (2006), including the Grammy Awarding song ??Our Town.??

Married twice, Newman has three children from his first marriage to Roswitha Schmale. He is currently married to Gretchen Preece; the couple has two children together.

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