https://archive.md/pgAol
"In 1977, the day after Paul Williams won an Oscar for writing lyrics for
“Evergreen” — the theme song from “A Star Is Born” starring its composer,
Barbra Streisand — he received a phone call from bookers for “Circus of the
Stars #2,” a television special that would showcase 1970s stalwarts like Telly
Savalas and Lynda Carter.
“They were going to do a skydiving segment,’” Williams recalled. “They were
looking for a celebrity with experience, and there was a Paul Williams listed
by the Parachute Club of America. They said, ‘That’s not you, is it?’ I said,
‘Yes it is, and the answer is yes.’”
That mix of versatility and chutzpah made Williams, who will be celebrated in
“The Lovers, the Dreamers & Me: The Songs of Paul Williams” at the 92nd Street
Y this week, one of the most inescapable personalities of his era.
The diminutive songwriter’s many credits include some of the Carpenters’
enduring hits, among them “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “Rainy Days and Mondays”
— both crafted with the composer Roger Nichols — and Kermit the Frog’s beloved
signature tune, “Rainbow Connection,” written with Kenny Ascher."
Original at
<
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/03/arts/music/paul-williams-songwriter-muppets-carpenters.html>
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
