Randy Newman

About Randy Newman

Randall Stuart “Randy” Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, arranger, film composer, and pianist. Biography Newman was born in Los Angeles in 1943 into a Jewish family. He spent his childhood in New Orleans, Louisiana, and later graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Newman released his first music single, “Golden Gridiron Boy,” in 1961. However, the release was unsuccessful, and he subsequently focused on writing songs for other performers. In 1968, he released his debut album, Randy Newman. Another of his albums, Sail Away (1972), reached No. 163 on the Billboard chart. The album’s title track was later performed by numerous artists, including Ray Charles and Linda Ronstadt. In 1971, Newman first tried his hand at composing film music, writing the score for Norman Lear’s satirical comedy Cold Turkey. His music can also be heard in Disney and Pixar animated films such as Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc. For the song “If I Didn’t Have You,” featured in Monsters, Inc., Newman received an Academy Award in 2002. His collection of awards also includes four Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and three Annie Awards. In 2002, he was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Discography Albums 1968 — Randy Newman 1970 — 12 Songs 1971 — Randy Newman Live 1972 — Sail Away 1974 — Good Old Boys 1977 — Little Criminals 1979 — Born Again 1983 — Trouble in Paradise 1988 — Land of Dreams 1993 — Randy Newman's Faust 1999 — Bad Love 2008 — Harps and Angels