Randy Newman

For his self-titled album, see Randy Newman (album). For the boxer, see Randy Neumann.

Randy Newman
Newman in 2012
Born
Randall Stuart Newman

(1943-11-28) November 28, 1943 (age 80)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • arranger
  • pianist
  • composer
  • conductor
Years active1961–present
Spouses
  • Roswitha Schmale
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1967; div. 1985)​
  • Gretchen Preece
    ​
    (m. 1990)​
Children5, including Eric Newman
Parents
  • Irving George Newman (father)
  • Adele "Dixie", née Fuchs/Fox (mother)
Relatives
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • piano
Labels
Websiterandynewman.com

Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, composer and conductor. He is known for his non-rhotic Southern-accented singing style, early Americana-influenced songs (often with mordant or satirical lyrics), and various film scores.[5] His hits as a recording artist include "Short People" (1977), "I Love L.A." (1983), and "You've Got a Friend in Me" (1995) with Lyle Lovett, while other artists have enjoyed success with cover versions of his "Mama Told Me Not to Come" (1966), "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" (1968), and "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (1972).

Born in Los Angeles to an extended family of Hollywood film composers,[6] Newman began his songwriting career at the age of 17, penning hits for acts such as the Fleetwoods, Cilla Black, Gene Pitney, and the Alan Price Set. In 1968, he made his formal debut as a solo artist with the album Randy Newman, produced by Lenny Waronker and Van Dyke Parks. Four of Newman's non-soundtrack albums have charted in the US top 40: Sail Away (1972), Good Old Boys (1974), Little Criminals (1977), and Harps and Angels (2008).

Since the 1980s, Newman has worked mostly as a film composer. He has scored nine Disney-Pixar animated films, including all Toy Story films (1995–present), A Bug's Life (1998), both Monsters, Inc. films (2001, 2013), and the first and third Cars films (2006, 2017), as well as Disney's James and the Giant Peach (1996) and The Princess and the Frog (2009). His other film scores include Cold Turkey (1971), Ragtime (1981), The Natural (1984), Awakenings (1990), Cats Don't Dance (1997), Pleasantville (1998), Meet the Parents (2000), Seabiscuit (2003), and Marriage Story (2019).

Newman has received twenty-two Academy Award nominations in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories and has won twice in the latter category, contributing to the Newmans being the most nominated Academy Award extended family, with a collective 92 nominations in various music categories. He has also won three Emmys, seven Grammy Awards and the Governor's Award from the Recording Academy.[7] In 2007, he was recognized by the Walt Disney Company as a Disney Legend.[8] He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.[9]

  1. ^ "Randy Newman, The Musical Voice Of 'Toy Story'". KOSU. June 21, 2019. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  2. ^ Butler, Christian (November 6, 2016). "Randy Newman: still biting, still brilliant". Spiked. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  3. ^ Nicholas Everett; Paul R. Laird (December 9, 2002). The Cambridge Companion to the Musical. Cambridge University Press. p. 241. ISBN 978-0-521-79639-2. Archived from the original on July 4, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Randy Newman Biography". Allmusic. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  5. ^ Kamf, David (February 18, 2016). "How Randy Newman and His Family Have Shaped Movie Music for Generations". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  6. ^ "How Randy Newman and His Family Have Shaped Movie Music for Generations". Vanity Fair. February 18, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference awards was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Disney was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference rockhall was invoked but never defined (see the help page).