In Loving Memory: Allee Willis
And The Writer Is...with Ross Golan
And The Writer Is
4.9 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 6 January 2020
⏱️ 70 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We were all devastated by the loss of the great Allee Willis last December. Needless to say, she was truly one of a kind. Revisit our episode with her and join us in remembering and celebrating Allee's life and work.
Our guest is a one-woman creative musical think-tank, a multi-disciplinary artist and visionary thinker whose range of imagination and productivity knows no bounds. This GRAMMY, Emmy and Tony award-winning and nominated songwriter’s hits include the seemingly ubiquitous "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire, “I'll Be There for You” (the Friends theme song), as well as the co-authored Oprah Winfrey-produced Tony and GRAMMY-winning musical, The Color Purple. She has written for artists across many genres, including Cher, Diana Ross, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner, Boy George, Patti LaBelle, Justin Timberlake and more. She is an advocate for songwriter’s rights being credited as the first pop artist to address Congress on artist rights in cyberspace. Our guest most recently completed writing, recording, producing, directing and animating “The D,” a song for her hometown of Detroit. She has also started performing a series of sold-out one-woman shows, combining her songs with her comedy, art, videos and technology. We are honored to introduce this 2018 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, And The Writer is… Allee Willis!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | This past Christmas Eve, the And the writer is family, lost another member. |
| 0:08.0 | Ali Willis, last year's Songwriter Hall of Fame and Duckie, who wrote songs like September and Boogie Wonderland for Earth |
| 0:15.5 | Wind and Fire and The Friends theme song along with theme songs from Beverly Hills |
| 0:21.8 | Cop and Karate Kid, |
| 0:24.0 | you know, Grammy winner for the Color Purple, |
| 0:27.0 | which she also was nominated for a Tony Award for that. |
| 0:30.0 | She passed away and she was truly one of the most unique multimedia artists I've certainly I've ever met you know she has this had this incredible pink house where every room was not a square |
| 0:48.7 | So imagine going to a house where not one room not even the recording studio nothing is square and |
| 0:56.1 | that really described her to a T we wanted to re-release her episode that we did only two seasons ago because I want you to hear her tell |
| 1:09.7 | her story from growing up in Detroit, moving to Los Angeles, and having one of the most unique |
| 1:16.5 | careers of anyone we've ever talked to. |
| 1:19.5 | So rest in peace, Ali, here's her interview. |
| 1:25.0 | Welcome to and the writer is. I am your host Ross Golan. |
| 1:31.0 | Today's Emmy, Tony, and Grammy winning writer has been crafting hit after hit for five |
| 1:36.8 | decades. Working with legends Patty La Bell, Bonnie Rait, Earth Wind and Fire, Cindy |
| 1:42.2 | Lop, or Tina Fire, Cindy Lop, |
| 1:42.8 | Tina Turner, Pet Shop Boys, Diane and Ross, |
| 1:45.5 | Aretha Franklin, etc. |
| 1:48.2 | But wait, there's more. |
| 1:49.7 | She's an artist, set designer, visual artist, director, and activist. |
| 1:54.7 | In fact, she was the first artist to defend digital and cyberspace rights to Congress |
| 1:59.4 | in 1997. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from And The Writer Is, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of And The Writer Is and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.