Randy Newman

Randy Newman writes mordant, ironic, concise songs with chromatic twists worthy of George Gershwin and Kurt Weill. He sings in a deep drawl and accompanies himself on piano (Fats Domino was an early hero) and often tours alone. Newman tends to write lyrics about characters usually bordering on the pathological: bigots, perverts, slaveship captains, ELO fans. Since the 1980s he has also established himself as a leading composer of movie soundtracks, collecting 13 Oscar nominations for his efforts.

Photo by Pamela Springsteen