Paul Williams (songwriter)

For other musicians of that name, see Paul Williams.

Paul Williams
Birth name	Paul Hamilton Williams, Jr.
Born	September 19, 1940 (1940-09-19)
Origin	Omaha, Nebraska
Genres	Pop folk, Pop, Soft rock, Folk
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, actor, writer and director.
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1960s–present
Labels	A&M Records
Associated acts	The Holy Mackerel, The Muppets, The Carpenters
Website	paulwilliamsconnection.org

Paul Hamilton Williams, Jr. (born September 19, 1940) is an Academy Award-winning American composer, musician, songwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song", Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World", and the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" and "Rainy Days and Mondays", as well as his contributions to films such as "Evergreen" from A Star Is Born and "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie. He has also had a variety of acting roles in films such as the villainous Swan in Brian DePalma's Phantom of the Paradise (which Williams also co-scored, receiving an Oscar nomination in the process), as well as television, theater, and voiceover work for animation.

Musical career

Williams is responsible for a number of enduring pop hits from the 1970s, including several hits for Three Dog Night (the aforementioned "An Old Fashioned Love Song", as well as "The Family of Man", and "Out in the Country"), Helen Reddy ("You and Me Against the World"), and the Carpenters, most notably "Rainy Days and Mondays," "I Won't Last a Day Without You," and "We've Only Just Begun", originally a song for a Crocker National Bank television commercial featuring newlyweds, and which has since become a cover-band standard and de rigueur for weddings throughout North America. An early collaboration with Roger Nichols, "Someday Man," was covered by The Monkees (a group for which he auditioned but was not cast) on a 1969 single, and was the first Monkees' release not published by Screen Gems. Bobby Sherman also sang "Cried Like a Baby." Anne Murray sang "Talk It Over in the Morning." He also wrote the cantata Wings with music by Michel Colombier.

A frequent cowriter of Williams was musician Kenneth Ascher; their songs together included the popular children's favorite "Rainbow Connection," sung by Jim Henson (as Kermit the Frog) in The Muppet Movie. Williams also collaborated with Biff Rose, notably on the song "Fill Your Heart," originally recorded by Tiny Tim as the B-side of his 1968 hit "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" and subsequently covered by David Bowie on his album Hunky Dory. Most recently, he collaborated with Scissor Sisters on their second album, Ta-Dah and contributed lyrics to Richard Barone's 2010 album Glow [1]. He first was a part of a short lived rock group called "Holy Mackerel."

Williams has worked on the music of a number of films, including writing and singing on Phantom of the Paradise (in which he also starred and earned an Oscar nomination for the music); and Bugsy Malone. He contributed lyrics to the Cinderella Liberty song You're So Nice to Be Around with music by John Williams, and it earned them an Oscar nomination. Along with Kenneth Ascher and Rupert Holmes, they wrote the music and lyrics to A Star Is Born, with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. The bittersweet love ballad, "Evergreen", from the movie won the Academy Award for Best Song of The Year.

He is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and his songs have been performed by both pop and country music artists. He has won one Academy Award for best song (Evergreen) from A Star Is Born (co-written by the artist who performed it, Barbra Streisand) and has been nominated for several others.

He wrote the music for a musical production of Happy Days that debuted in 2007 and also made a cameo appearance as an animated version of himself singing "Mix music with the science" in the hit animated TV series Dexters Laboratory.

In April 2009, Williams was elected President and Chairman of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Film and television career

Although predominantly known for his music, Paul Williams is also an actor, appearing in films and many television guest appearances, notably as the Faustian record producer Swan in the cult film Phantom of the Paradise (for which he also wrote the songs), a rock and roll remake of Phantom of the Opera, and as Virgil, the genius orangutan in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (on Feb. 9, 1973, Williams mixed his two fields for a joke appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in which he sang a song in full make-up as Virgil). His most recognizable role is "Little Enos Burdette" in Smokey and the Bandit. He also played Miguelito Loveless Jr. in The Wild Wild West Revisited, a reunion movie of the original Wild Wild West, and played himself, singing a song to Felix Unger's daughter Edna, in "The Odd Couple." He made his film debut as Gunther Fry in the 1965 satire The Loved One. He also wrote for Mort Sahl in the 1960s.

After appearing on The Muppet Show in 1976, Williams worked closely with Jim Henson's Henson Productions on The Muppet Movie, most specifically on the soundtrack, and even had a cameo in the movie as the piano player in the nightclub where Kermit the Frog meets Fozzie Bear.

Williams has appeared in many minor roles. He provided the voice of The Penguin in Batman:The Animated Series. He had a role in Star Trek: Voyager as Prelate Koru of the Qomar Planetary Alliance, a race technologically superior to the Federation but lacking musical ability, and also appeared on an episode of Walker: Texas Ranger as a radio DJ covering a modern day Bonnie and Clyde pursued by Walker. He recently appeared in 2009 in an episode of Nickelodeon's children's show Yo Gabba Gabba! entitled "Weather", where he performed "Rainbow Connection". He has also appeared on Cartoon Network's Dexter's Laboratory where he played Professor Williams in an episode entitled "Just An Old Fashioned Lab Song".

He made numerous television appearances in the 1970s and 1980s, including guest appearances on Hawaii Five-O, Match Game '79, The Love Boat, The Hardy Boys, The Odd Couple (as himself), The Muppet Show (as a guest star), The Fall Guy, and The Gong Show. He has also guest-starred in the Babylon 5 episode "Acts of Sacrifice" (Season 2 Episode 12) as Taq, the aide to Correlilmurzon, an alien ambassador whose species finalizes treaties and agreements by having sex with the other signees. In a bit of subtle irony, Williams also appeared in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Virtuoso" as the leader of a planet that has never heard music before. Williams appeared on an episode of Picket Fences as the brother of the just deceased Ginny Weedon (Zelda Rubinstein). While eulogising Ginny, he sings a small part of "Rainbow Connection". He starred as Ferdinand the Bull in a musical 1/2 hour TV production of the same name written by the Sherman Brothers. In October 1980, he was host of the Mickey Mouse Club 25th Anniversary Special on NBC-TV. He stated that he tried out for the show in early 1955 and was turned down. Paul was a frequent guest and performer on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. WIlliams also appears as the man making the phone call at the beginning of the music video for Hank Williams Jr.'s song "All my rowdy friends are coming over tonight"

Personal life

Williams was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Bertha Mae (née Burnside), a homemaker, and Paul Hamilton Williams, an architectural engineer. He is married to writer Mariana Williams, and has two children, Sarah and Cole. His brothers are the late John Williams, a NASA rocket scientist, and Mentor Williams (fiancé of country legend Lynn Anderson), a successful songwriter in his own right who penned Dobie Gray's 1973 hit, "Drift Away."

Williams has been active in the field of recovery from addictions.

In 2009, Paul Williams was elected President of ASCAP (the American Society of Songwiters, Composer, and Authors).

In September 2011, director Stephen Kessler's documentary, "Paul Williams Still Alive" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Songwriting

Albums

• Words and Music by Paul Williams
• The Holy Mackerel (with The Holy Mackerel [1969])
• We've Only Just Begun (by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams)
• Someday Man [1970]
• Just an Old Fashioned Love Song [1971]
• Life Goes On [1972]
• Here Comes Inspiration [1974]
• A Little Bit of Love [1974]
• Phantom of the Paradise [1974]
• Ordinary Fool [1975]
• Bugsy Malone [1976]
• Classics [1977]
• " One on One: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" ( by Paul Williams and Charles Fox (1977))
• A Little on the Windy Side [1979]
• The Muppet Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher [1979])
• ...And Crazy for Loving You [1981]
• The Secret of N.I.M.H.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [1982]
• The Best of Paul Williams [1983]

Notable songs

• "Nice to Be Around" (Cinderella Liberty Soundtrack)
• "Evergreen" (Love Theme from A Star Is Born), (#1 hit for Barbra Streisand)
• "Rainy Days and Mondays", (#2 hit for The Carpenters)
• "We've Only Just Begun" (#2 hit for The Carpenters)
• "You and Me Against the World" (Top-10 hit for Helen Reddy)
• "An Old Fashioned Love Song" (Top-10 hit for Three Dog Night)
• "Family of Man" (#12 hit for Three Dog Night)
• "Out in the Country" (#15 hit for Three Dog Night)
• "I Won't Last a Day Without You", (Top-20 hit for The Carpenters)
• "The Rainbow Connection" (Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated song)
• "When the River Meets the Sea"
• "One More Angel"
• "Moonlight Becomes You"
• "You're Gone"
• "Waking Up Alone" (Biggest single as performer)
• "Flying Dreams"
• "Gone Forever"
• "Where Do I Go From Here (Thunderbolt and Lightfoot)"
• "Someday Man" (Monkees - 1969 - "A" Side of "Listen To The Band" single)

TV themes (lyricist)

• "The McLean Stevenson Show"
• "Theme to the Love Boat"
• "It Takes Two"
• "Sugar Time!"
• "Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas"
• "The Muppet show"

Notable recordings

• "(Just An) Old Fashioned Love Song" (from An Old Fashioned Love Song [1971])
• "Bitter Honey" (from The Holy Mackerel [1969])
• "Don't Call It Love" (from Ordinary Fool [1975])
• "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born) ([1977])
• "The Family of Man" (from A Little Bit Of Love [1974])
• "Faust" (from Phantom of the Paradise [1974])
• "Flash" (from Ordinary Fool [1975])
• "For Goodness Sake" (from A Little On The Windy Side [1979])
• "Flying Dreams" (from The Secret of N.I.M.H. [1982])
• "The Hell of It" (from Phantom of the Paradise [1974])
• "Here's Another Fine Mess" (from A Little On The Windy Side [1979])
• "If We Could Still Be Friends" (from Here Comes Inspiration [1974])
• "I Won't Last a Day Without You" (from Life Goes On [1972])
• "Let Me Be the One" (from An Old Fashioned Love Song [1971])
• "A Little Bit of Love" (from A Little Bit Of Love [1974])
• "Loneliness" (from A Little Bit Of Love [1974])
• "Ordinary Fool" (from Ordinary Fool [1975])
• "Out in the Country" (from Life Goes On [1972])
• "Rainy Days and Mondays" (from Here Comes Inspiration [1974])
• "Sad Song (That Used to Be Our Song)"
• "Save Me a Dream" (from A Little on the Windy Side [1979])*
• "Someday Man" (from Someday Man [1970])
• "To Put Up with You" (from Someday Man [1970])
• "Trust" (from Someday Man [1970])
• "Waking Up Alone" (from Classics [1977])
• "We've Only Just Begun" (from An Old Fashioned Love Song [1971])
• "When I Was All Alone" (from An Old Fashioned Love Song [1971])
• "You and Me Against the World"(from Here Comes Inspiration [1974])

Scores

Films

• The Loved One [1965]
• The Chase [1966]
• The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing [1972]
• Cinderella Liberty [1973]
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes [1973]
• Phantom of the Paradise [1974]
• The Day of the Locust [1975]
• Bugsy Malone [1976]
• A Star Is Born [1976]
• Lifeguard (Theme song "Time and Tide" [1976])
• One on One [1977]
• Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas [1977]
• The End [1978]
• Agatha [1979]
• Stone Cold Dead (1979)
• The Muppet Movie ("The Rainbow Connection" [1979])
• The Secret of NIMH ("Flying Dreams" [1982])
• Ishtar [1987]
• The Muppet Christmas Carol [1992]
• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa [2008]
• Paul Williams Still Alive [2011]

Theatre

• Bugsy Malone [1997]
• Happy Days The Musical [2007]
• Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas [2008]

Cinema songs

• "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" 1974 (written and composed by Williams for 'Where Do I Go From Here' [1974])
• "Evergreen (Love Song from A Star Is Born)" (Academy and Golden Globe winner for Best Original Song [1976])
• "The Rainbow Connection" (written by Williams for The Muppet Movie [1979])
• "Flying Dreams" (composed and performed by Williams for The Secret of N.I.M.H [1982])

Acting

Films

• The Loved One, 1965
• The Chase, 1966
• Watermelon Man, 1970
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes, 1973
• Phantom of the Paradise, 1974
• Smokey and the Bandit, 1977, as Little Enos, a recurring part
• The Cheap Detective, 1978
• The Muppet Movie, 1979
• Stone Cold Dead, 1979
• Smokey and the Bandit II, 1980
• Rooster, 1982
• Smokey and the Bandit Part 3, 1983
• The Night They Saved Christmas, 1984, as Ed
• Frog, 1987
• The Doors, 1991
• Headless Body in Topless Bar, 1995
• The Rules of Attraction, 2002
• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, 2004, as Lord Harmony           
• Georgia Rule, 2007
• Valentine's Day, 2010, as Romeo Midnight (Narrator)

Theatre

• Under the Sycamore Tree
• Tru on Broadway, 1989

Television

• Hawaii Five-O
• B. J. and the Bear
• Hardy Boys
• The Love Boat(1982):Brian
• The McLean Stevenson Show
• Match Game
• The Gong Show
• It Takes Two
• Sugar Time!
• Baretta
• Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, produced by Jim Henson
• The Muppet Show
• The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
• The Brady Bunch Hour
• The Donny & Marie Show
• The Mary Tyler Moore Hour
• The Odd Couple ~ Season 5 1974-1974 (Episode 101: "The Paul Williams Show")
• Fantasy Island-"Man who wanted to be Don Quixote"
• 227 - "Play It Again, Stan"
• Batman The Animated Series - The Penguin
• Babylon 5
• Walker: Texas Ranger
• Star Trek: Voyager
• Courage the Cowardly Dog, 2004, as Professor Lame
• Dexter's Laboratory, 1998, as Professor Williams
• Yo Gabba Gabba
• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa, 2008, as the Head Elf
• Silver Spoons
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 2011, as himself

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Skinner, Curtis (2001), Contemporary Authors Online, Detroit: Gale, ISBN 978-0-7876-3995-2 

External links

• paulwilliamsconnection.com — site includes biography, discography, acting bio, photos, media downloads any thing and everything Paul Williams including information on service organizations.
• paulwilliams.co.uk - Paul Williams' Music & Acting Page
• Paul Williams at the Internet Movie Database
• Paul Williams discography at Discogs
• Paul Williams at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Jim Bennett's interview with Paul Williams
• Songfacts Interview
• Songwriters Hall of Fame Biography

Preceded by Danny DeVito

Actors to portray the Penguin 1992-2004

Succeeded by David Ogden Stiers (voice only)