David Shire
Born: 3 July 1937, Buffalo, New York.
Biography:
David Shire took up the piano as a child, played in his father's dance band at local functions in and around Buffalo, and majored at music at Yale University. It was while at Yale that he met aspiring lyricist Richard Maltby Jr., who was to have a profound effect on Shire's life. Shire and Maltby headed for New York, and during the 1960s and early 1970s enjoyed a successful career together, arranging music for artists such as Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis and Melissa Manchester, and writing a host of off-Broadway musicals such as "Sap of Life" (1961) and "Love Match" (1968). Shire entered the world of film music in 1971 with his score for "One More Train to Rob", and went on to work solidly in television and film throughout the decade, writing for important films such as "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974), "The Conversation" (1974), "Farewell My Lovely" (1975), "The Hindenburg" (1975), "All the President's Men" (1976) and "Raid on Entebbe" (1977). Shire reached the zenith of his career at the end of the decade, when his soundtrack album for "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) won him a Grammy Award, and the single "It Goes Like It Goes" from "Norma Rae" (1979), earned him an Oscar two years later. During the 80s, Shire scored many successful films, notably "The World According to Garp" (1982), "2010" (1984), "Return to Oz" (1985), "Night Mother" (1986) and "Short Circuit" (1986), but gradually found himself falling out of favour and the high-profile assignments drying up. Returning to his roots, Shire re-teamed with Maltby and headed back to Broadway, winning a Tony for his work on the 1983 musical "Baby", an Outer Critics Circle Award for his 1989 off-Broadway effort "Closer Than Ever", and attaining critical acclaim for his musicals "Starting Here Starting Now" (1993) and "Big" (1996). Shore continued to maintain his dual career, writing occasional film scores and working in musical theatre, prior to making an unexpected big-screen comeback in 2007 on David Fincher’s serial killer thriller “Zodiac”. In 1970, Shire married Francis Ford Coppola's sister Talia, who continued to bill herself as Talia Shire long after their divorce. Shire's second wife, whom he wed in 1984, was "Grease" actress Didi Conn.
Reviews:
Zodiac
Filmography:
Zodiac (2007), Heights (2005), The Tollbooth (2004), Ash Wednesday (2002), Two Against Time (2001), Thin Air (2000), Double Platinum (1999), Sarah Plain and Tall: Winter's End (1999), Small Vices (1999), Rear Window (1998), I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1998), Ms. Scrooge (1997), Alone (1997), Last Stand at Saber River (1997), One Night Stand (1995), Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story (1995), Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story (1995), A Father for Charlie (1995), The Heidi Chronicles (1995), Jake's Women (1995), The Man Who Wouldn't Die (1995), Murderous Intent (1995), Tecumseh: The Last Warrior (1995), Reunion (1994), Lily in Winter (1994), Danielle Steel's 'Once in a Lifetime' (1994), Jane's House (1994), Texan (1994), Barbara Taylor Bradford's 'Remember' (1993), Bloodlines: Murder in the Family (1993), Danielle Steel's 'Heartbeat' (1993), Skylark (1993), Four Eyes and Six-Guns (1992), Nightmare in the Daylight (1992), The Habitation of Dragons (1992), Something to Live For: The Alison Gertz Story (1992),Bed of Lies (1992), Last Wish (1992), Bed & Breakfast (1992), Paris Trout (1991), The Boys (1991), Sarah, Plain and Tall (1991), Neil Simon's Broadway Bound (1991), Always Remember I Love You (1990), The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990), A Promise to Keep, A (1990), Common Ground (1990), I Know My First Name Is Steven (1989), The Women of Brewster Place (1989), Monkey Shines (1988), Vice Versa (1988), God Bless the Child (1988), Mayflower Madam (1987), Echoes in the Darkness (1987), Backfire (1987), Short Circuit (1986), 'Night Mother (1986), Return to Oz (1985), The Blue Yonder, The (1985), Do You Remember Love (1985), 2010 (1984), Oh, God! You Devil (1984), Max Dugan Returns (1983), The World According to Garp (1982), The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), Only When I Laugh (1981), Paternity (1981), The Defection of Simas Kudirka (1979), The Promise (1979), Norma Rae (1979), Old Boyfriends (1979), Straight Time (1978), Saturday Night Fever (1977), Raid on Entebbe (1977), Something for Joey (1977), The Big Bus (1976), All the President's Men (1976), Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976), The Fortune (1975), Farewell, My Lovely (1975), The Hindenburg (1975), The Conversation (1974), Tell Me Where It Hurts (1974), Killer Bees (1974), The Godchild (1974), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), Class of '44 (1973), Showdown (1973), Two People (1973), See the Man Run (1971), The Impatient Heart (1971), The Priest Killer (1971), Drive, He Said (1971), One More Train to Rob (1971), Skin Game (1971), Summertree (1971).
Highest Grossing Films as at end of 2007 (adjusted for inflation):
Saturday Night Fever ($278.0m), All the President’s Men ($218.1m), The Hindenburg ($89.7m), 2010 ($85.1m), Short Circuit ($77.7m), The World According to Garp ($71.6m), Only When I Laugh ($65.0m), Norma Rae ($58.3m), Paternity ($48.0m), Oh God! You Devil ($45.9m)
Awards:
1979 Academy Awards - Winner, Best Original Song - "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae
1979 Academy Awards - Nominee, Best Original Song - "I'll Never Say Goodbye" from The Promise
1977 Golden Globes - Nominee, Best Original Score - Saturday Night Fever
1975 BAFTA Awards – Nominee, Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music – The Taking of Pelham 123
1999 Emmy Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Music Composition for a Mini– Series, Movie, or Special – Rear Window
1990 Emmy Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Music Composition for a Mini– Series, Movie, or Special – The Kennedys of Massachusetts
1985 Emmy Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Music Composition for a Mini– Series, Movie, or Special – Do You Remember Love?
1978 Emmy Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Music Composition for a Mini– Series, Movie, or Special – The Defection of Simas Kurdika
1977 Emmy Awards – Nominee, Outstanding Music Composition for a Mini– Series, Movie, or Special – Raid on Entebbe
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