LOS ANGELES: The composer of the theme song of the famous television show “Friends,” Allee Willis, has passed away at age 72 after going into cardiac arrest.
Allee Willis was also a visual and social artist, painter, director, collector of odd artifacts and memorabilia, and a stand-up comedian and performance artist.
Willis, who composed “I’ll Be There For You” as well as several hits by Earth, Wind, and Fire, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Willis wrote “I’ll Be There for You” on assignment as a 60-second theme song for “Friends.” When the Rembrandts came on board, they wanted to expand it into a complete song, so contributed a bridge and a lyric for the second verse for the full-length version.
Among her many awards, Willis was a two-time Grammy winner for ‘The Color Purple’ as best musical theater album in 2016, and her contribution to the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ soundtrack three decades earlier and was nominated for a Tony for ‘The Color Purple’ and Emmy for the ‘Friends’ theme.
Also read: Jennifer Aniston recreates ‘Friends’ scene with co-star
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