Paul Williams
Paul Williams
Singer-Songwriter: Evergreen, The Rainbow Connection
Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Author and Recovery Advocate and presently president and Chairman of the Board of ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers), Paul Williams has been a fixture on the American cultural scene since the seventies. A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, he has been nominated for six Oscars with one win. He has been nominated for eight Grammys and won twice, six Golden Globe nominations and two wins, plus two Emmy nominations.
He has released twenty-four albums and provided songs and scores for dozens of films. The hit songs he wrote dominated the charts and became staples, including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song." The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun," Oscar winning "Evergreen," from the Barbra Streisand version of A STAR IS BORN and the iconic "Rainbow Connection," performed by Kermit the Frog in The Muppet Movie.
Paul made forty-eight appearances on THE TONIGHT SHOW with Johnny Carson and was a favorite on the late night talk show circuit for decades. He has appeared in countless TV shows and thirty films which include the roles of "Gunther Fry" in Tony Richardson's 1965 dark comedy THE LOVED ONE, "Virgil" in BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, and "Swan" in Brian De Palma's 1974 cult classic PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, in which he not only starred, but wrote the Oscar nominated song score. He was the star of the documentary PAUL WILLIAMS, STILL ALIVE (2011), which has been widely acclaimed as a festival favorite and critic's darling. But Williams predicts he'll be remembered for playing Little Enos in the SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT trilogy and for his lyrics to "The Love Boat" theme.
While his career highlights are vast and appear to be continuous Paul remains a passionate recovery advocate. Sober now for twenty-three years, he is one of the most public faces of the recovery movement, speaking all over the world, where he shares his journey from addiction to a state of 'functional bliss' thanks to the recovery process. He was on the Board of Directors for the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and is a graduate of UCLA's Drug and Alcohol Counseling Program.
Paul continues to write songs, score films, work tirelessly for recovery and leads a billion-dollar performing rights organization. Recovery being his number one passion he considers writing the book "Gratitude and Trust: Recovery is Not Just for Addicts" with Tracey Jackson the greatest opportunity of his lifetime to carry the message to the masses that recovery works for all.
As a devoted husband to writer Mariana Williams and proud father, Paul considers his son Cole, and daughter Sarah, to be his best work.
Paul Williams' Official Website
Paul Williams at the Internet Movie Database