Paul Williams(III)
- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Known for timeless classics such as "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy
Days and Mondays," "Evergreen," "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song," and
"Rainbow Connection," Paul Williams is responsible for what will remain
part of our popular culture for many years to come. His music has been
recorded by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.
Three Dog Night's versions of "Just an
Old Fashioned Love Song," "Out in the Country," and "Family of Man" have
sold millions of copies, worldwide.
Karen Carpenter's rich vocals
made "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Let Me Be the
One," and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," a part of our lives.
Elvis Presley,
Frank Sinatra,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Barbra Streisand,
Willie Nelson,
Kermit the Frog and
Luther Vandross are among the hundreds
of artists who have recorded Paul's songs.
Neal McCoy recently recorded Paul's "Party On," while Diamond Rio recorded and took "You're Gone" to the top of the charts. The video for "You're Gone"
became Pick of the Week on Country Music Television. In 1997, Paul went
back into the recording studio and recorded his CD, "Back to Love
Again," which includes remakes of some of Paul's more classic hits such
as "Rainbow Connection" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," as well
as new songs which contain the same quality, passion and depth that was
heard and felt in his hits from the past.
Richard Carpenter and
Graham Nash appear as guest artists
on the album, bringing to it a richness and a quality all its own.
Critics, fans and the most famous in the music industry have all had
positive reactions and reviews to the album.
No one sings a song like the songwriter who wrote it, and the same
holds true for Paul's music. No one captures the emotion within the
songs the way he can and does time and time again. Paul is one of the
most celebrated songwriters of our time having won Academy, Grammy and
Golden Globe Awards. His most recent accomplishments include his
induction into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Paul's reputation as a motion picture songwriter took hold in 1973,
with an Academy Award nomination for "Nice to Be Around" (co-written
with John Williams) from
Cinderella Liberty (1973).
1975 brought Paul's second nomination for the soundtrack from
Brian De Palma's cult classic,
Phantom of the Paradise (1974).
He not only wrote the words and music and produced the album for the
rock cantata, but also held the audience captive with his devious
portrayal of the evil Swan.
Paul went on to become the Music Supervisor for
A Star Is Born (1976), bringing
with it the challenge of working with three different composers to
produce its award-winning score. Williams and
Kenny Ascher won a Golden Globe Award for
"Best Motion Picture Score." "Evergreen," co-written with
Barbra Streisand, won the 1976 Oscar
for "Best Song of the Year." In 1980, Paul was once again nominated by
the Academy for the score from the box office smash hit,
The Muppet Movie (1979), for
"Best Original Score" as well as the song "Rainbow Connection" being
nominated for "Best Song." "The Muppet Movie" soundtrack went on to win
two Grammy Awards and became the biggest soundtrack album of the year,
exceeding sales of one million units. Paul reunited with Henson
Productions for the Disney feature film,
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).
He wrote and produced the songs for the soundtrack which brought with
it yet another Grammy Award nomination for "Best Musical Album for
Children."
Paul's other film credits include the songs and score for
Bugsy Malone (1976), which starred
Jodie Foster and
Scott Baio. "Bugsy Malone" continues to be a
favorite of children's playhouses and theaters, worldwide. He co-wrote
the title song for "Flying Dreams" from
The Secret of NIMH (1982),
which was recently recorded as a duet by
Kenny Loggins and
Olivia Newton-John, and has written
songs for The End (1978),
Rocky IV (1985) and
Ishtar (1987). Paul collaborated with
Jerry Goldsmith on the title song for
The Sum of All Fears (2002).
The song is featured in the beginning of the movie with a Latin
translation and again at the end in English, performed by Electra
recording artist, Yolanda Adams.
This may very well be the first time in entertainment history where a
song has been presented in a film in two different languages. Paul
Williams began his career as an actor with his portrayal of a
12-year-old prodigy in
The Loved One (1965), playing
opposite Jonathan Winters. He
is probably best-known for his roles as Little Enos in the "Smokey and
the Bandit" movies, as well as the orangutan Virgil in
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).
In 1995, Paul received stellar reviews for his starring role as a
wheelchair-bound hostage in
Headless Body in Topless Bar (1995).
Paul is also remembered for his roles in
Oliver Stone's
The Doors (1991),
People Like Us (1990)
(the NBC miniseries based on the
Dominick Dunne bestseller), as the
fun-loving amphibian Gus in
Frog (1988) and
Frogs! (1993) and Freddie the
Bomb in Solar Crisis (1990). He
rarely passes up the opportunity to return to his early roots of acting
and played an emergency room doctor in
Roger Avary's
The Rules of Attraction (2002).
Paul is no stranger to the small screen. He has appeared on
Picket Fences (1992),
Dream On (1990),
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997),
Boston Common (1996),
Walker, Texas Ranger (1993)
and
The Bold and the Beautiful (1987).
Many people are unaware that Paul has provided voice-overs for
countless animated series, some of which include his role as the
Penguin in
Batman: The Animated Series (1992),
and his recurring appearances in
Phantom 2040 (1994). Having
obtained his certification from UCLA as a drug and alcohol counselor,
Paul is very active on the speaker's circuit across the country.
Speaking from his personal experiences with his own addiction and the
knowledge that he gained through his education and his experience as a
counselor, Paul continues to touch the lives and hearts of many people
whose lives have been affected by drug abuse and/or alcoholism. He is
actively involved with the Musician's Assistance Program and is on the
Board of Directors for Community High School, a sober high school in
Nashville, Tennessee which offers the teens assistance with their
recovery as well as the education that they both strive for and
deserve.
Paul has appeared on
Prime Time Country (1996),
The Geraldo Rivera Show (1987) and
Primetime (1989), talking
about the devastating effects of drugs and alcohol and the increased
use of them amongst teens and pre-teens. Paul has been presented with
the Global Arts Award from the Friendly House for his efforts on their
behalf, the Spirit of Youth Award from the Pacific Boys Lodge for his
efforts and contributions and the "Celebration of Hope" award given to
him by Hazelden for his overall contribution in the recovery field.
Recovery is not simply a field that Paul is active in, it is one that
he is passionate about... this is just one way in which Paul gives of
himself to others.
Days and Mondays," "Evergreen," "Just an Old Fashioned Love Song," and
"Rainbow Connection," Paul Williams is responsible for what will remain
part of our popular culture for many years to come. His music has been
recorded by some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry.
Three Dog Night's versions of "Just an
Old Fashioned Love Song," "Out in the Country," and "Family of Man" have
sold millions of copies, worldwide.
Karen Carpenter's rich vocals
made "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Let Me Be the
One," and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," a part of our lives.
Elvis Presley,
Frank Sinatra,
Ella Fitzgerald,
Barbra Streisand,
Willie Nelson,
Kermit the Frog and
Luther Vandross are among the hundreds
of artists who have recorded Paul's songs.
Neal McCoy recently recorded Paul's "Party On," while Diamond Rio recorded and took "You're Gone" to the top of the charts. The video for "You're Gone"
became Pick of the Week on Country Music Television. In 1997, Paul went
back into the recording studio and recorded his CD, "Back to Love
Again," which includes remakes of some of Paul's more classic hits such
as "Rainbow Connection" and "I Won't Last a Day Without You," as well
as new songs which contain the same quality, passion and depth that was
heard and felt in his hits from the past.
Richard Carpenter and
Graham Nash appear as guest artists
on the album, bringing to it a richness and a quality all its own.
Critics, fans and the most famous in the music industry have all had
positive reactions and reviews to the album.
No one sings a song like the songwriter who wrote it, and the same
holds true for Paul's music. No one captures the emotion within the
songs the way he can and does time and time again. Paul is one of the
most celebrated songwriters of our time having won Academy, Grammy and
Golden Globe Awards. His most recent accomplishments include his
induction into the American Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Paul's reputation as a motion picture songwriter took hold in 1973,
with an Academy Award nomination for "Nice to Be Around" (co-written
with John Williams) from
Cinderella Liberty (1973).
1975 brought Paul's second nomination for the soundtrack from
Brian De Palma's cult classic,
Phantom of the Paradise (1974).
He not only wrote the words and music and produced the album for the
rock cantata, but also held the audience captive with his devious
portrayal of the evil Swan.
Paul went on to become the Music Supervisor for
A Star Is Born (1976), bringing
with it the challenge of working with three different composers to
produce its award-winning score. Williams and
Kenny Ascher won a Golden Globe Award for
"Best Motion Picture Score." "Evergreen," co-written with
Barbra Streisand, won the 1976 Oscar
for "Best Song of the Year." In 1980, Paul was once again nominated by
the Academy for the score from the box office smash hit,
The Muppet Movie (1979), for
"Best Original Score" as well as the song "Rainbow Connection" being
nominated for "Best Song." "The Muppet Movie" soundtrack went on to win
two Grammy Awards and became the biggest soundtrack album of the year,
exceeding sales of one million units. Paul reunited with Henson
Productions for the Disney feature film,
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).
He wrote and produced the songs for the soundtrack which brought with
it yet another Grammy Award nomination for "Best Musical Album for
Children."
Paul's other film credits include the songs and score for
Bugsy Malone (1976), which starred
Jodie Foster and
Scott Baio. "Bugsy Malone" continues to be a
favorite of children's playhouses and theaters, worldwide. He co-wrote
the title song for "Flying Dreams" from
The Secret of NIMH (1982),
which was recently recorded as a duet by
Kenny Loggins and
Olivia Newton-John, and has written
songs for The End (1978),
Rocky IV (1985) and
Ishtar (1987). Paul collaborated with
Jerry Goldsmith on the title song for
The Sum of All Fears (2002).
The song is featured in the beginning of the movie with a Latin
translation and again at the end in English, performed by Electra
recording artist, Yolanda Adams.
This may very well be the first time in entertainment history where a
song has been presented in a film in two different languages. Paul
Williams began his career as an actor with his portrayal of a
12-year-old prodigy in
The Loved One (1965), playing
opposite Jonathan Winters. He
is probably best-known for his roles as Little Enos in the "Smokey and
the Bandit" movies, as well as the orangutan Virgil in
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973).
In 1995, Paul received stellar reviews for his starring role as a
wheelchair-bound hostage in
Headless Body in Topless Bar (1995).
Paul is also remembered for his roles in
Oliver Stone's
The Doors (1991),
People Like Us (1990)
(the NBC miniseries based on the
Dominick Dunne bestseller), as the
fun-loving amphibian Gus in
Frog (1988) and
Frogs! (1993) and Freddie the
Bomb in Solar Crisis (1990). He
rarely passes up the opportunity to return to his early roots of acting
and played an emergency room doctor in
Roger Avary's
The Rules of Attraction (2002).
Paul is no stranger to the small screen. He has appeared on
Picket Fences (1992),
Dream On (1990),
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show (1997),
Boston Common (1996),
Walker, Texas Ranger (1993)
and
The Bold and the Beautiful (1987).
Many people are unaware that Paul has provided voice-overs for
countless animated series, some of which include his role as the
Penguin in
Batman: The Animated Series (1992),
and his recurring appearances in
Phantom 2040 (1994). Having
obtained his certification from UCLA as a drug and alcohol counselor,
Paul is very active on the speaker's circuit across the country.
Speaking from his personal experiences with his own addiction and the
knowledge that he gained through his education and his experience as a
counselor, Paul continues to touch the lives and hearts of many people
whose lives have been affected by drug abuse and/or alcoholism. He is
actively involved with the Musician's Assistance Program and is on the
Board of Directors for Community High School, a sober high school in
Nashville, Tennessee which offers the teens assistance with their
recovery as well as the education that they both strive for and
deserve.
Paul has appeared on
Prime Time Country (1996),
The Geraldo Rivera Show (1987) and
Primetime (1989), talking
about the devastating effects of drugs and alcohol and the increased
use of them amongst teens and pre-teens. Paul has been presented with
the Global Arts Award from the Friendly House for his efforts on their
behalf, the Spirit of Youth Award from the Pacific Boys Lodge for his
efforts and contributions and the "Celebration of Hope" award given to
him by Hazelden for his overall contribution in the recovery field.
Recovery is not simply a field that Paul is active in, it is one that
he is passionate about... this is just one way in which Paul gives of
himself to others.