Bespectacled singer-songwriter Randy Newman (1943–) was born on this day in New Orleans and grew up in Los Angeles, the nephew of respected film composers Alfred, Lionel, and Emil Newman. His music blends New Orleans roots, Los Angeles irony, and a long family tradition of film scores.
“I'd rather have my toe operated on than write,” said the ironically funny Newman. Known for his satirical wit, he has become one of Hollywood’s most distinctive film composers, walking the line between sharp social commentary and heartfelt storytelling.
The creator of songs with cutting-edge social commentary, he wrote “Mama Told Me Not to Come,” which propelled Three Dog Night to the top of the charts in 1970. Newman gained his own Top 40 hit with “Short People” (1977), a celebration of the vertically challenged. “I Love L.A.” (1983) became a sunny, sideways anthem about the city’s material dreams.
He has said, “My music has a high irritation factor. I've always tried to say something. Eccentric lyrics about eccentric people. Often it was a joke. But I would plead guilty on the grounds that I prefer eccentricity to the bland.” His characters may be flawed, yet the heart beneath the satire keeps listeners coming back.
Newman has created the music for such films as Ragtime (1981), The Natural (1984), and Pixar’s beloved Toy Story series, including the classic “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” He also scored Monsters, Inc., Cars, A Bug’s Life, and other animated favorites that have become part of family life around the world.
After sixteen nominations, Newman finally won an Academy Award for his song If I Didn’t Have You from Monsters, Inc. He later received a second Oscar for We Belong Together from Toy Story 3, along with Grammy Awards and honors such as induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Disney Legend status, and a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
What I have is enough.