Randy Goodrum Biography by Randy Goodrum

s o n g w r i t e r

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andy Goodrum is a songwriter who has penned standards (“You Needed Me,” “Foolish Heart”), number one records (“Oh Sherrie,” “Bluer Than Blue”), and numerous major hits in all areas of music – pop, rock, a/c, R&B, and country. Randy is always associated with a unique style and outstanding execution whether in songwriting, producing, or performing.

Along with writing the recent European smash hit song, “All Over Again” (Ronan Keating), Randy enjoys other recent successful hit songs, such as “You Needed Me” (Boyzone, #1 in Europe), and “A Lesson in Leavin’” ( Jo Dee Messina, #2 for 7 weeks and top 10 for over 4 months). Co-written by Goodrum, Randy’s hits have produced a song book of modern standards ■ ■ ■

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Chet Atkins, Randy, Earl Klugh

including “You Needed Me” (Anne Murray), “Bluer Than Blue” Michael Johnson), “Oh Sherrie” (Steve Perry), “I’ll Be Over You” (Toto), “A Broken Hearted Me” (Anne Murray), “Who’s Holding Donna Now” (DeBarge), “Foolish Heart” (Steve Perry), “Now and Forever” (Anne Murray), “It’s Sad to Belong” (England Dan and John Ford Coley), and “Before My Heart Finds Out” (Gene Cotten). Randy has also penned these hits: “Now and Forever (You And Me)” (Anne Murray), “If She Would Have Been Faithful” (Chicago), “Lesson in Leavin’,” “I’m Gonna Put You Back on the Rack,” “Leaving’s for Unbelievers” (Dottie West), “What’re We Doin’ in Love” (Kenny Rogers and Dottie West), “It’s True Love” (Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty), “She’s Mine” (Steve Perry), “If I Had My Wish Tonight” (David Lasley), “Tell Me

Tomorrow” (Angela Bofill), “Silhouette” (Randy Goodrum), “The Fool In Me” (Sonny James), “Foolish Heart” (Sharon Bryant), “Fallin’ In Love” (Sylvia), “I Will If You Will” ( John Berry), “Melanie” (Toto), and “20-20” (George Benson). Randy has also had songs recorded by diverse artists including: Phoebe Snow, Tammy Wynette, Russ Malone, The Raybon Brothers, Gladys Knight, Reba McEntire, Brian Kennedy, Earl Klugh, Alabama, Johnny Lange, Avalon, Christopher Cross, John Berry, Bryan White, Ray Charles, Steve Wariner, Chakka Kahn, Russ Taff, Glen Medeiros, Patty Austin, Mark Knopfler, Rick Trevino, David Benoit, Dave Grusin, Judy Collins, Ronnie Milsap, Helen Reddy, Bobby Caldwell, Amy Grant, Lori Morgan, Michael McDonald, K.T. Oslin, Rita Coolidge, Al Jarreau, Chet Atkins, Natalie Cole, Floyd Cramer, Princess Vaughn, The Commodores, Olivia Newton-John, B.J. Thomas, Kansas, Maura O’Connell, Billy Joe Walker, Dusty Springfield, Vince Gill, Trisha Yearwood, Bill Medley, Debby Boone, Teddy Pendergast, Michael Bolton, David Pack, The Imperials, David Gaither, Chesney Hawkes, Bill LaBounty, Billy Joe Walker, Roger Whitaker, Agnetha Faltskog, The Jefferson Starship, Deodato, James Galway, Isaac Hayes, Millie Jackson, Ferrante and Teichner, Peobo Bryson, Jeffrey Osborne, Wendy Moten, Stacy Lattisaw, Rick Price, Amanda Stott, Tommy Emmanuel, and the list goes on and on.

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oodrum has also had a considerable number of songs appear in major motion pictures and TV, such as: three songs in Stir Crazy (Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor), one song in Back to School (Rodney Dangerfield), one song in Cowboy (Ted Dansen), one song in Why Would I Lie (Lisa Eicher), two songs in the 2001 release Prancer 2, one song in Chipmunk Adventure, three songs in Heavenly Kid, and one song, If You Believe, in the motion picture Prancer Returns, which was awarded 2001 Best Original Song in a Motion Picture at the Variety Video Awards. Randy received a Cable Ace Awards Nomination for Song of the Year in 1994 for a song in the Cable TV hit series, Roundhouse. Goodrum and Dave Grusin co-wrote the theme for the daytime TV drama, One Life To Live. Randy had the honor of having his song “Millennium” performed live on ABC as part of their marathon Millennium 2000 coverage. Randy also worked on two major hit TV projects produced by Smith/Hemion, and wrote all the songs for two

holiday musicals for CBS-TV entitled Snowden On Ice, and Snowden’s Raggedy Ann and Andy’s Traveling Holiday Show. He produced vocals and tracks on Amy Grant, Olivia Newton-John, Lou Rawls, B.J. Thomas, and Anne Murray for these projects. Goodrum wrote the song, “We’re Not Through,” specifically for Al Gore’s 2000 Presidential Campaign and was privileged to have it performed at the 2000 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. Randy also wrote songs for the ’92 and ’96 Clinton/ Gore Campaigns including “Circle Of Friends,” which was the closing theme of the ’92 Democratic Convention, and “Reunion,” which was the theme for President Bill Clinton’s First Inaugural Gala. Randy also had the privilege of performing the song himself as the opening act of a show that featured Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, and many others. Later Goodrum wrote an unforgettable duet for Kenny Rogers and Trisha Yearwood called, “Together, As One” which was featured in the ’96 Inaugural Gala of President Clinton. ■ ■ ■

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s a producer, Goodrum has worked with many major artists representing a full range of musical diversity including Olivia Newton-John, Steve Perry, Michael Bolton, B. J. Thomas, Lou Rawls, Kenny Rogers, Tommy Emmanuel, Chet Atkins, Glen Meideros, Steve Lukather, and Dottie West. A solo record by Steve Perry, with numerous co-written hits and new songs was released in spring of 2009. Randy is currently writing new material for an upcoming project of Steve’s, as well. More on that later. An earlier solo record by Steve Perry on SONY Records, released on Dec. 15, 1998, includes eleven new Goodrum co-writes and co-productions. The first single from that album was simultaneously released titled “When You’re in Love for the First Time,” co-written and coproduced by Randy. Goodrum also has three songs on the most recent Toto album, released worldwide titled, Mind Fields. Randy has recently finished producing an album on the Memphis Horns, titled Perkin’ it Up. Three of these songs have already been featured in major TV and movie projects.

Randy has performed on keyboards on hundreds of recording sessions with such legendary artists as Chet Atkins, Roy Orbison, Dionne Warwick, Steve Perry, Earl Klugh, DeBarge, Al Jarreau, Steve Wariner, and George Benson. Among Goodrum’s numerous awards he has received for his work, in Oct. 2000, Randy was inducted into the prestigious Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Goodrum has won dozens of ASCAP Songwriter and Publisher Awards for his many hits throughout his prolific career. In 1981, he won six ASCAP Awards in a single year, and was named ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year, having already received a Grammy Nomination for “You Needed Me” as Song of the Year. “You Needed Me” was also Song of the Year for The Academy of Country Music, The National Music Publishers Association, and The Nashville Songwriters Association. Goodrum’s song, “Now and Forever (You and Me),” recorded by Anne Murray was 1986 ASCAP Country Song Of The Year. “You Needed Me” was

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awarded one of the Top 10 ASCAP Songs of the Decade as well as being awarded one of the Top Ten Country ASCAP Songs of the Twentieth Century. Other interesting achievements associated with Randy’s songs are “So Soft, Your Goodbye” (Grammy awarded to Chet Atkins and Mark Knoffler for Best Country Instrumental Performance), “You Needed Me” (Grammy for Best Female Vocal to Anne Murray), “What’re We Doin in Love” (Grammy Awarded to Dottie West and Kenny Rogers for Best Country Duo), Arkansan of the Year award from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association, induction into the Hot Springs High School Hall of Fame, in 1996 Randy was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainment Hall of Fame as well as receiving the Governor’s Award for special merit, and in 1997 he received the President’s Choice Award from the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International for meritorious service toward the songwriting community. Randy has served as President, Secretary, and Chairman of the New Technology Committee of the Nashville Songwriters Association International as well as on the boards of The Nashville Songwriters Foundation, The National Academy of Songwriters, the Georgia Songwriters, and the ASCAP Songwriter Advisory Boards of Nashville and L.A. Goodrum has traveled abroad many times in recent years for various writing and production projects and continues to do so regularly. Not mentioned in this bio are the numerous foreign recordings Randy has received and continues to receive on his catalog of songs. Goodrum’s most recent solo albums are: Solitary

Nights (GRP), Fool’s Paradise (Polydor), Caretaker of Dreams, An Exhibition, and Words and Music (Polydor KK). He continues to have a wide variety of activity with recent cover recordings of new songs by Reba McEntire, Russ Malone, Alabama, Ronan Keating, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Johnny Lange, Amanda Stott, Sat-R-Day, Boyzone, Jo Dee Messina, Ronnie Milsap, Amy Grant, Avalon, and Toto.

ore Recent News: Randy has some brand new covers in ’07 and ’08: a new song titled, “Leave the Light On” is included on Garth Brooks’ latest album, The Ultimate Hits. Goodrum has a wonderful new version of his classic

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standard, “You Needed Me” appearing on Anne Murray’s latest album, Duets. This new version features Anne and Shania Twain. Also, Olivia Newton-John has included a new song by Randy titled, Underneath the Same Sky co-penned with Olivia and her producer, Amy Sky. The album is titled Christmas Wish, and Goodrum’s song is critically acclaimed in many reviews and periodicals. Randy is executive producer of the recent project by Steve Lukather, (a founding member and mainstay of the group Toto), Ever Changing Times. It is racing up the charts in Europe and Asia and will be released in other territories soon. Randy cowrote the first single of the same title and has several other wonderful co-writes on the record, as well. Goodrum also has a new song, “Brody’s”, which is included in Steve Lukather’s newest album, All’s Well That Ends Well. Randy appears as a guest artist and writer on the wonderful, new album by Peter Friestedt, just released on Zink Records.

nother wonderful announcement is that Randy and his longtime friend and fellow songwriter/producer/artist, Jay Graydon have teamed up over the last year and formed a group, JaR, www.jarzone.com, and have completed their first album, Scene 29, currently out on CD Baby in the U.S., Zink Music in Europe, and Pony Canyon in Japan and Asia. Goodrum recently received the 2010 Hendrix College Odyssey Award in the category of Artistic Creativity. http://www.hendrix. edu/news/news.aspx?id=48981, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=IvII3OndXxk

Randy received a Bachelor of Music degree from Hendrix in 1969; he also met his wife, Gail there. Randy is featured in a special program on AETN (Arkansas Educational Television Network) which features 4 Arkansas native-born songwriters doing a 2 hour special featuring individual performances of some of their best known songs. http://www.aetn.org/programs/aetnpresents/music/media/on_ the_front_row_with_wayland_holyfield The AETN show will air several times beginning in November of 2010. ■

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