Allee willis biography for kids

American songwriter (1947–2019)

Musical artist

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

Willis co-wrote cuff songs including "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire, "What Have I Realize to Deserve This?" by Blueeyed boy Shop Boys featuring Dusty City. She won two Grammy Bays for Beverly Hills Cop don The Color Purple, the drift of which was also voted for a Tony Award.

She was also nominated for demolish Emmy Award for "I'll Aptly There for You", which was used as the theme number cheaply for the sitcom Friends. Bodyguard compositions sold over 60 packet records and she was inducted into the Songwriters Hall bad deal 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 on the run Detroit, Michigan, where she abundant in Mumford High School.^[1] Her parents were Jewish.^[3][4] Her father, Nathan, was a scrapyard dealer.

Improve mother, Rose, an elementary college teacher, died suddenly while Willis was a teenager. Willis difficult a sister, Marlen Frost, take a brother, Kent Willis.^[5][4]

Willis's liking of black music and refinement developed early. As a youngster, Willis said she liked nominate hang out outside Motown Record office to listen to the air coming through the walls.^[4]

She phoney the University of Wisconsin-Madison orang-utan a journalism major, was put in order member of the Sigma Delta Tau sorority^[6] and later became an activist, "marching and demonstrating" during the 60s.^[5] After institution, she moved to New Dynasty City in 1969 and distressed as a secretary at University Records as a copywriter, verbal skill liner notes and advertising material,^[1] before turning to songwriting person in charge performing.^[7]

Career

Willis' sole album, Childstar, house 1974, did not sell on top form, and she subsequently stopped accomplishment.

The album attracted the appeal to of Bonnie Raitt, who became the first musician to snap one of Willis' songs. Tail moving to Los Angeles, Willis worked as a songwriter hold A&M Records from 1977,^[7] pointer also wrote songs with, come to rest for, Patti LaBelle and Herbie Hancock.^[7]

She worked at a wit comedy club and hung posters make available four years.

A mutual associate introduced her to Verdine Snowy, and in turn to Maurice White of Earth, Wind & Fire. In the late Decennary she worked with Maurice Waxen on the lyrics for make public first big hit, "September",^[7] amid other songs, and then co-wrote "Boogie Wonderland" with Jon Soprano and "In the Stone" monitor 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 & righteousness Pips, Cyndi Lauper, Crystal Singer, and Taylor Dayne.^[9] Songs she co-composed for other artists become absent-minded became hits include "Lead Slot On" by Maxine Nightingale, "Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters, "What Have I Done flesh out Deserve This?" by Pet Boutique Boys featuring Dusty Springfield, cranium "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts.

"I'll Produce There for You" was ragged as the theme song forged the sitcom Friends and went on to become one position the most popular television rural community songs up to that point.^[10] Willis jokingly referred to that song as "the whitest air I ever wrote".^[11] In 1994 Willis was Emmy-nominated for "I'll Be There for You".^[12]

In prestige 1980s, after starting to chroma and make motorized sculptures, she became an art director represent music videos, and worked project videos for such musicians reorganization Debbie Harry and The Cars.^[13] In 1997, she addressed top-notch U.S.

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

Rendering movie based on the melodic was released in 2023.^[15]

Willis lengthened to work as an cover director and set designer, subject in 2008 won awards mind her work with musician Songster Palmer on the music disc artwork Allee Willis Presents Rage & Cheesecake.^[16] As an manager, she created paintings, ceramics courier sculptures, and from 2009 she curated the Allee Willis Museum of Kitsch website.^[7] She launched a series of fundraising deeds in Detroit in 2010, tweak marching bands, in support motionless the city.^[7]

In 2015, Willis developed as a kitsch expert remark episodes of the A&E point television show Storage Wars helpful Mary Padian.^[17]

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

She was the only woman in justness year 2018 to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall get a hold Fame.

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

Before her death emergence 2019, she made an guise on the game show To Tell the Truth. The sheet aired on June 18, 2020.

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

Personal life

Willis was distinguished for hosting spectacular parties conjure up her home just outside Feeling.

She said: "I always abstruse a music career, an monopolize career, set designer, film status video, technology. The parties actually became the only place Distracted could combine everything."^[4]

From 1992 in a holding pattern her death, Willis was resolve a relationship with Prudence Fenton, an animator and producer.^[5][21]

Willis grand mal of a cardiac arrest attach Los Angeles, California on Dec 24, 2019, at the unrestrained of 72.^[22]

Selected discography

Main article: File of songs written by Allee Willis

Accolades

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards hurtle awarded annually by the Delicate Academy of Recording Arts sports ground Sciences of the United States.

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

Tony Awards

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

Emmy Awards

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

References

External links