Libby Titus

Libby Titus (born Elizabeth Jurist on July 6, 1947 in Woodstock, New York) is a singer, songwriter, actress and concert producer. Although she released several solo albums in the 1970s and '80s, she is best known as the co-writer, with Eric Kaz, of "Love Has No Pride", a song recorded by many artists including Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt and Jane Monheit.

She has co-written songs with Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen and performed with Dr. John on an album of children's songs. During the 1980s she performed and collaborated on songs with Burt Bacharach and Martin Mull.

Titus has also appeared in films including director Robert Frank's Energy and How to Get It and Mike Nichols' Heartburn. She performed voiceover songs for Penny Marshall's Awakenings.

Impact

Titus inspired Carly Simon's tune "Libby" (1976) and Dr. John's piano composition "Pretty Libby" (1982). Singer-songwriter Wendy Waldman wrote about their friendship in "Long Hot Summer Nights", on the album Strange Company (1978, Warner Bros., and anthologized on Love Is the Only Goal: The Best of Wendy Waldman (1996).

"The Great Pagoda of Funn" from her husband Donald Fagen's 2006 album Morph the Cat was reportedly inspired by their marriage.

Family

Libby's mother, Julia (born 1911) was an Earl Carroll dancer. In 1993, Titus married Donald Fagen. She has two children: author Ezra Titus, from her marriage to novelist Barry Titus; and singer Amy Helm, from her relationship with Levon Helm. Ezra Titus died on July 30, 2009.