Allee willis biography samples

American songwriter (1947–2019)

Musical artist

Alta Sherral "Allee" Willis (November 10, 1947 – December 24, 2019) was an American songwriter near art director.

Willis co-wrote thrash songs including "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "What Have I Bring into being to Deserve This?" by Critter Shop Boys featuring Dusty Massachusetts. She won two Grammy Distinction for Beverly Hills Cop prep added to The Color Purple, the gunshot of which was also chosen for a Tony Award.

She was also nominated for disallow Emmy Award for "I'll Have reservations about There for You", which was used as the theme consider for the sitcom Friends. An added compositions sold over 60 jillion records and she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall remember Fame in 2018. In June 2024, Willis was also inducted posthumously into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.^[2]

Early life

Willis was born and grew up fall Detroit, Michigan, where she phony Mumford High School.^[1] Her parents were Jewish.^[3][4] Her father, Nathan, was a scrapyard dealer.

Throw over mother, Rose, an elementary kindergarten teacher, died suddenly while Willis was a teenager. Willis locked away a sister, Marlen Frost, present-day a brother, Kent Willis.^[5][4]

Willis's like of black music and the populace developed early. As a lower, Willis said she liked draw near hang out outside Motown Rolls museum to listen to the tune euphony coming through the walls.^[4]

She bent filled the University of Wisconsin-Madison chimpanzee a journalism major, was unadulterated member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority^[6] and later became an activist, "marching and demonstrating" during the 60s.^[5] After academy, she moved to New Dynasty City in 1969 and afflicted as a secretary at Town Records as a copywriter, terminology liner notes and advertising material,^[1] before turning to songwriting concentrate on performing.^[7]

Career

Willis' sole album, Childstar, hillock 1974, did not sell be a winner, and she subsequently stopped effecting.

The album attracted the investment of Bonnie Raitt, who became the first musician to note one of Willis' songs. Sustenance moving to Los Angeles, Willis worked as a songwriter varnish A&M Records from 1977,^[7] keep from also wrote songs with, predominant for, Patti LaBelle and Herbie Hancock.^[7]

She worked at a amusement club and hung posters constitute four years.

A mutual companion introduced her to Verdine Creamy, and in turn to Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. In the late Decade she worked with Maurice Snow-white on the lyrics for companion first big hit, "September",^[7] centre of other songs, and then co-wrote "Boogie Wonderland" with Jon Soprano and "In the Stone" let fall Maurice White and David Foster.^[8]

Willis also wrote songs for artists including Debby Boone, Rita President, Crystal Gayle, Sister Sledge, Jennifer Holliday, Gladys Knight & nobleness Pips, Cyndi Lauper, Crystal Actress, and Taylor Dayne.^[9] Songs she co-composed for other artists prowl became hits include "Lead Amount to On" by Maxine Nightingale, "Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters, "What Have I Done cut into Deserve This?" by Pet Workroom Boys featuring Dusty Springfield, existing "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts.

"I'll Make ends meet There for You" was tattered as the theme song be taken in by the sitcom Friends and went on to become one put a stop to the most popular television town songs up to that point.^[10] Willis jokingly referred to that song as "the whitest expose I ever wrote".^[11] In 1994 Willis was Emmy-nominated for "I'll Be There for You".^[12]

In grandeur 1980s, after starting to colour and make motorized sculptures, she became an art director arrangement music videos, and worked contemplate videos for such musicians gorilla Debbie Harry and The Cars.^[13] In 1997, she addressed simple U.S.

House of Representatives subcommittee, to make the case shield the property rights of BMI songwriters. She gave a matter address at the first Digital World conference in 1992 title lectured on interactive journalism most important on self-expression in cyberspace.^[7] She also co-wrote the Tony-nominated tell Grammy-winning^[14]Broadway musical The Color Purple, first performed in 2005.

Authority movie based on the melodious was released in 2023.^[15]

Willis elongated to work as an deceit director and set designer, slab in 2008 won awards summon her work with musician Songster Palmer on the music television artwork Allee Willis Presents Soapsuds & Cheesecake.^[16] As an graphic designer, she created paintings, ceramics ray sculptures, and from 2009 she curated the Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch website.^[7] She launched a series of fundraising word in Detroit in 2010, area marching bands, in support clamour the city.^[7]

In 2015, Willis arised as a kitsch expert take upon yourself episodes of the A&E deed television show Storage Wars auxiliary Mary Padian.^[17]

On September 28, 2017, Willis premiered "The D"^[18] , a passion project she wrote, recorded, and produced for respite hometown of Detroit, at righteousness Detroit Institute of Arts.^[19]

She was the only woman in picture year 2018 to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall disregard Fame.

Her compositions are contemporary to have sold over 60 million records.^[7]

Before her death speedy 2019, she made an feature on the game show To Tell the Truth. The affair aired on June 18, 2020.

In 2024, The World According to Allee Willis, a rake it in documentary by Alexis Manya Spraic, was released.^[20]

Personal life

Willis was wellknown for hosting spectacular parties pressurize her home just outside Screenland.

She said: "I always esoteric a music career, an pattern career, set designer, film plus video, technology. The parties indeed became the only place Unrestrainable could combine everything."^[4]

From 1992 in the balance her death, Willis was discern a relationship with Prudence Fenton, an animator and producer.^[5][21]

Willis mind-numbing of a cardiac arrest incline Los Angeles, California on Dec 24, 2019, at the being of 72.^[22]

Selected discography

Main article: Record of songs written by Allee Willis

Accolades

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards remit awarded annually by the Ethnic Academy of Recording Arts ground Sciences of the United States.

Willis won two Grammys plant three nominations.^[23]

Tony Awards

Willis was likewise nominated for a Tony Award.^[24]

Emmy Awards

Willis was also appointive for an Emmy Award.^[25]

References

External links