.jpg)
Remember that song? The theme song for the show Friends? How in the world does that tie in with today's Throwback Thursday? What if I also mentioned the songs "September" or "Boogie Wonderland"?
All these songs were co-written by Allee Willis, who died on this day in 2019.
Willis grew up in Detroit and would hang out outside of Motown Records to listen to the music coming through the walls. She clashed with her father over race, who told her, when she moved away to college, to "stay away from Black culture".
After attending college in Wisconsin, she moved to NYC and worked as a secretary, a copy writer and wrote liner notes at Columbia Records, before turning to songwriting and performing.
She released her only album in 1974 which didn't sell well and she didn't enjoy performing. However she did attract the interest of Bonnie Raitt who was the first musician to cover one of her songs.
Upon moving to Los Angeles, she started working for A&M Records writing songs for artists such as Patti LaBelle and Herbie Hancock. It was in the late 70s when she was introduced to Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind and Fire. Willis also wrote songs for artists including Crystal Gayle, Sister Sledge, Cyndi Lauper and so many more.
Some other track you may know that she helped pen:
"Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?" by Pet Shop Boys (featuring Dusty Springfield)
Later on in life, she co-wrote the Tony-nominated and Grammy-winning Broadway musical The Color Purple. Her last words to her dad before he died were "I just got the gig to write The Color Purple."
Willis was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.
Yes! Allee Willis was a great, fun writer and wonderfully eccentric individual. If you’ve not had a chance to hear it, her interview on the always fabulous Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast is a lot of fun. She also ran a Museum of Kitsch. Thanks for bringing her up, Dave!