Though he occasionally showed sympathy for his characters, Randy Newman became well known for his biting sense of satire, highlighted by his fluke 1978 hit “Short People” and his parody of ’80s yuppies, “I Love L.A.” While Newman’s records consistently received strongly positive reviews, he made his money through composing film scores for films like Ragtime and The Natural. His work has influenced several generations of songwriters, including Lyle Lovett and Mark Knopfler. Newman garnered another Oscar nomination in 1996 for “You’ve Got a Friend,” which was featured in the Disney computer-animated film, Toy Story. His career was celebrated in 1998 with the release of the four-disc box set Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman. Newman then released Bad Love in 1999. A number of film projects followed, and Newman once again put his solo career on hiatus while composing music for several movies. He returned in 2008 with Harps and Angels. In 2009 and 2010, Newman focused his creative energies on film music, scoring The Princess and the Frog and Toy Story 3; both earned Oscar and Grammy nods, and in the case of Toy Story 3, wins. In 2011, Newman released Live in London. He continues to tour the world.
