05003cam a2200361 i 4500 2058423736 TxAuBib 20250326120000.0 240210s2024||||||||||||||||||||||||eng|u 2024941638 9780306834691 hbk 0306834693 hbk (OCoLC)1420449619 TxAuBib rda Hilburn, Robert, author. A few words in defense of our country : the biography of Randy Newman / Robert Hilburn. First edition. New York, NY : Hachette Books, 2024. ©2024. xxii, 513 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm. txt rdacontent n rdamedia nc rdacarrier Includes bibliographical references, discography, and index. The Newman roots, a friend named Kenny and an eye problem -- The world isn't fair, the teen years and some early songwriting -- "They Tell Me It's Summer," "Golden Gridiron Boy" and metric music -- A creative awakening, Roswitha and a new publisher -- Lenny, Mo, and Warner Bros. Records -- A classic debut album, "Love Story" and "Davy the Fat Boy" -- 12 songs, Harry Nilsson and the troubadour -- The bitter end, Bob Dylan and a novel movie idea -- Another classic album: Sail away -- Good Old Boys and the N-word -- Ragtime, Saturday Night Live and mounting pressure -- "Short People" and some bruised feelings -- A bad joke and rough times -- Films and the stage, ragtime and Faust -- Trouble in Paradise: another epic album and the marriage ends -- The natural, La Pelicula Loca and Peter Asher -- Land of dreams -- Parenthood, Avalon and a backyard wedding -- Faust, the album and the stage -- Toy Story, "You've Got a Friend in Me" and John Lasseter -- More movies, "When She Loved Me" and all those oscar nominations -- Bad Love and finally, an oscar -- Nonesuch records, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, part one Katrina -- "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country," President George W. Bush and the New York Times editorial pages -- Harps and angels, A song for President Obama and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, part two -- Dark Matter, the streak continues -- The Hollywood Bowl, an historic night -- The family -- Toy Story 4, the Marriage Story, and the pandemic -- Afternoon visits with Lenny and the hope for more music. "The definitive biography of songwriter Randy Newman, told with his full cooperation, by acclaimed biographer and longtime Los Angeles Times music critic, Robert Hilburn. Randy Newman is widely hailed as one of America's all-time greatest songwriters, equally skilled in the sophisticated melodies and lyrics of the Gershwin-Porter era and the cultural commentary of his own generation, with Bob Dylan and Paul Simon among his most ardent admirers. While tens of millions around the world can hum "You've Got a Friend in Me," his disarming centerpiece for Toy Story, most of them would be astonished to learn that the heart of Newman's legacy is in the dozens of brilliant songs that detail the injustices, from racism to class inequality, that have contributed to the division of our nation. Rolling Stone declared that a single Newman song, "Sail Away," tells us more about America than "The Star-Spangled Banner." And yet, his legacy remains largely undocumented in book form--until now. In A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY, veteran music journalist Robert Hilburn presents the definitive portrait of an American legend. Hilburn has known Newman since his club debut at the Troubadour in 1970, and the two have maintained a connection in the decades since, conversing over the course of times good and bad. Though Newman has long refused to talk with potential biographers, he now gives Hilburn unprecedented access not only to himself but also to his archives, as well as his family, friends, and collaborators. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, John Williams, Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Chuck D, James Taylor, and New York Times' Pulitzer-winning columnists, Thomas Friedman and Wesley Morris, among others, contributed to the book. In addition to exploring Newman's prolific career and the evolution of his songwriting, A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY also dives into his childhood and early influences, his musical family that ruled Hollywood movie scores for decades, the relationships that have provided inspiration for his songs, and so much more. As thought-provoking and thorough as it is tender, this book is an overdue tribute to the legendary songwriter whose music has long reflected and challenged the America we know today."--Publisher. 20250326. Newman, Randy. Composers United States Biography. Singers United States Biography. Lyricists United States Biography. TXKIP