Emmy-nominated and Grammy-winning songwriter Allee Willis, the mind behind Friends‘ iconic theme song, has died at the age of 72.
Willis’ longtime partner Prudence Fenton announced her passing on Instagram, writing: ‘Rest In Boogie Wonderland Nov 10,1947-December 24, 2019’, in reference to one of the Earth, Wind & Fire hits Willis had co-written.
Willis was well-known for creating I’ll Be There For You – the perennial, catchy theme song to the fan-favourite sitcom performed by The Rembrandts.
I’ll Be There for You is, arguably, the most famous theme song ever – forever in the public consciousness as Friends circulates TV stations and people’s Netflix viewing. It earned Willis an Emmy nomination.
As per Variety, Willis died in her Los Angeles home on Christmas Eve after going into cardiac arrest.
The songwriter is also famous for co-writing The Color Purple on Broadway, as well as the soundtrack for Beverley Hills Cop.
Her catalogue of hits was absolutely enormous: Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield’s What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Patti LaBelle’s Lead Me On, Earth, Wind & Fire’s September and Boogie Wonderland and You’re the Best, from The Karate Kid.
While I’ll Be There For You is a massive song, Willis’ most fruitful collaboration was with Earth, Wind & Fire. In 1978, the band called her up following a recommendation, and the next day she came in and wrote Boogie Wonderland and September off-the-cuff – now that’s talent.
Speaking to Songfacts in 2008, Willis said:
I’m someone that absolutely loves writing very joyful music. And with everything else I’ve ever written, [September is] still that song that when people found out I’d written that, they just go, ‘Oh my God,’ and then tell me in some form how happy that song makes them every time they hear it.
For me, that’s it. … I literally have never been to a wedding, a bar mitzvah, anything, where I have not heard that song play. So I know it’s carrying on and doing what it was meant to do. As for the significance of the September 21 date singled out in the song, she said there was none.
I would say the main lesson I learned from Earth, Wind & Fire, especially Maurice White, was never let a lyric get in the way of a groove.
With such an impressive array of musical contributions, Willis was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2018. RIP.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.