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Bunny Hull

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Bunny Hull
Bunny Hull, 2017
Bunny Hull, 2017
Background information
Birth nameJeri Keever Hull
Born (1951-10-09) October 9, 1951 (age 72)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Songwriter
  • Musician
  • Composer
  • Vocalist
  • Lyricist
  • Producer
  • Audio Engineer
  • Film Director
  • Author
  • Humanitarian
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • Keyboards
  • Percussion
  • Ukulele
Years active1975–present
Labels
Websitebunnyhull.com

Bunny Hull is an American songwriter, musician, composer, vocalist, producer, film director, author, and humanitarian. Her catalog includes work on music, film and television projects[1], twenty Gold and Platinum Certifications, a Grammy® Award, two Grammy® nominations, an Emmy® nomination, a GMA Dove Award, a BMI Performance Award, and twelve children's media awards.

Early life

Hull studied piano, dance, and trained as a pianist from the age of 7 with Muriel Adler and Hal Stesch. She trained as a dancer with Christina Carson of Sadler Wells Ballet and began writing music at age 15 in Las Vegas. Hull performed in Las Vegas stage shows with Gene Kelly, Jimmy Durante, Sergio Franchi, and Dick Jensen.

Hull moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a songwriter and singer in 1974 upon the death of her mother. She performed at various piano bars, hotels and clubs, including the Continental Hyatt House (now the Andaz West Hollywood) on Sunset Boulevard, where audiences often included touring musicians and celebrities. It was there that she met Harvey Mason, which led to her first recordings as a vocalist on Mason’s 1979 Groovin’ You album, and a duet written and sung with violinist, orchestra leader, multi-instrumentalist and singer, Charles Veal Jr.

Hull's work as a songwriter and backing vocalist gained momentum during this period, including short tours to Japan with Christopher Cross and the East Coast with Boz Scaggs.

Music career

Hull has worked with a broad range of top-tier recording artists in many genres, including Anita Baker, Angela Bofill, Peabo Bryson, Christopher Cross, George Duke, Michael Franks, Thelma Houston, Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, The Judds, Wynonna Judd, KC & the Sunshine Band, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, Ricky Martin, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Bob Welch, and Vanessa Williams.

The song Breakdance was co-written by Hull with Giorgio Moroder and Irene Cara in 1983 for Cara's What a Feelin' album. It was released as a single and reached #8 on the Billboard pop chart, #13 on the US dance chart, and #23 on the US R&B chart in 1984.

Hull co-wrote the song New Attitude with Sharon Robinson and Jon Gilutin in 1984. The song was included on the soundtrack for the 1984 Paramount Pictures film Beverly Hills Cop. It won a Grammy® Award for Best Album Of Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or Television Special at the 28th Annual Grammy Awards. A cover version of the song, produced by Harold Faltermeyer, was released as a single by Patti LaBelle in December 1984 and nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1986.

Ready For A Miracle, a song composed by Hull and Art Reynolds, was originally recorded by Patti LaBelle and Edwin Hawkins for the 1992 Paramount Pictures Leap of Faith film soundtrack and recorded by LeAnn Rimes for the 2007 Evan Almighty film soundtrack. Rimes' version of the song won a GMA Dove Award.

In 1995, Hull composed and arranged music with Brenda Russell for the song Let Somebody Know on Diana Ross' Take Me Higher album. She also contributed keyboard programming, keyboards, vocal arrangement, and backing vocals.

Additional music credits

Partial list:

Solo projects

Truth and Tenderness, an album of 10 original songs by Hull, was released on vinyl LP through the Sampony record label in South Korea on November 12, 1991. It includes backing vocals by Thelma Houston. The album was released on CD through the Pony Canyon record label (aka P.C.H, or Pacific Coast Highway) the same year.[2]

Children's books and CD's

Hull began writing, producing, and composing music for a series of children's books, music CD's, sheet music, and related products under the publishing imprint Young Masters Little Wisdom® in 2009. Products offered on its' Dream A World website include hardbound books, Kids Creative Classics activity kits illustrated by Synthia Saint James, and Young Masters Little Wisdom® books illustrated by Kye Fleming. The series is designed for students from 3 to 6 years of age and is a foundation for curriculum development currently used in public schools, private schools, and Montessori Schools.

Dream A World's website mission statement includes the following:

Dream A World’s mission is to entertain, educate and inspire children. Our products and programs are designed to ignite the spirit of every child with self-esteem and confidence, and to encourage critical thinking skills by providing them with a deeper understanding about the simple gifts with which they were born – the ability to imagine and create.

Young Masters Little Wisdom®: Secrets Of The Heart is part of the series and is a recipient of the 2008 Parents’ Choice Recommended Award.

Additional titles (partial list):

  • Young Masters Little Wisdom: The Friendship Seed
  • Young Masters Little Wisdom: The Magic Eye
  • Young Masters Little Wisdom: The Hidden Treasure
  • Dreamer’s Activity Kit with CD: A Child's Journey to Self-discovery
  • Peace In Our Land (music and story accompanied by a 24-page activity book)
  • Alphabet Affirmations (music and story accompanied by a 24-page activity book)

Film and television

Hull's film credits include:

Her television credits include work for NBC, ABC, CBS, cable networks and programs such as The Today Show, The Nanny, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Charmed, Sesame Street, and The Simpsons.

Humanitarian activities

Hull founded a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Dream A World Education, Inc., in 2009. The organization provides arts workshops and events to school children, parents and educators in Los Angeles. Its' mission is to provide early childhood arts education that supports academic development, social-emotional learning and an understanding of cultural diversity. The organization has worked with schools in the Los Angels Unified School District, Wiseburn School District, and Hawthorne School District.

A documentary short film about the organization marked Hull's film directorial debut in 2017. Entitled The Ripple Effect, the film was released through Cinema Verde Productions, Inc. in 2018 and nominated for an Emmy® Award in the Independent Programming category of the 71st Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards in July, 2019.[3] The film also won a 2018 Global Impact award.

Awards and nominations

Partial list

  • Grammy Award: Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special. Song: New Attitude. Bunny Hull, songwriter. Film: Beverly Hills Cop – 1984
  • Dove Award: Traditional Recorded Gospel Song of the Year. Ready For A Miracle.
  • Emmy Nomination: Independent Programming category in the 71st Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards. Song: Ready For A Miracle. – 2019

Gold and Platinum Certifications:

Partial list

James Ingram – It’s Your Night Morris Day – Color Of Success DeBarge – Rhythm Of the Night Karyn White “Superwoman” DeBarge “Time Will Reveal” Billy Idol “Charmed Life” Anita Baker – Rapture Donna Summer – All Systems Go BMI – Performance Award Breakdance

References

  1. ^ "Bunny Hull music credits 1976-2017". AllMusic. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  2. ^ "Truth and Tenderness". Discogs Music Database. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "71st Los Angeles Area Emmy Nominations". Emmys.com. Retrieved July 25, 2019.

http://bunnyhull.com

http://brassheartmusic.com

https://dreamaworldedu.org

https://dreamaworld.com

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