'Show up every day'

 

“If you’re doing something, show up every day, and something good might happen – it’s not going to happen if you don’t show up.” - Randy Newman

Born in New York on Nov. 28, 1943 Newman is a writer who always shows up, especially when it comes to writing songs for movies.  The raspy-voice singer has been nominated for Academy Awards 22 times and won twice for his sometimes quirky and always wonderful songs – for which he writes both the words and music.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he wrote the memorable film scores for the Toy Story series and the Monsters, Inc. series and for the stand-alone movies Seabiscuit and Ragtime.

 

 Randy Newman

Newman, who cites Ray Charles as his greatest influence during his “growing up” years, has been a professional songwriter since age 17.    

Perhaps his two best-known songs are “It’s a Jungle out there,” the Emmy winning theme song for the long-running TV series Monk, and "You've Got A Friend In Me" from the Toy Story movie series and recorded by dozens of other artists as well.  

 

"I don't ever remember having writer's block," Newman said with his tongue firmly in cheek about the malady that often strikes writers.  "If I sit there for four hours, I usually have something."