Richard Kerr (songwriter)

Richard Kerr (born in England) is a prolific and successful composer. As the co-writer of "Mandy", "Looks Like We Made It" and "Somewhere in the Night" — all huge hits for Barry Manilow — pianist Richard Kerr has made some of the most beautiful pop/easy listening music ever made. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9ftxqu5ldse~T1 Allmusic.com biography by Ed Hogan] ]

Career

In the UK, he collaborated with such artists in the late 1960s and early 1970s as Peter Green, Don Partridge and Scott English. The latter pairing resulted in the song "Brandy" which English released in 1971. This song would later become a worldwide hit under the title "Mandy" for Barry Manilow in 1974. Although, Don Partridge's "Blue Eyes" was Kerr's first hit as a songwriter.

In November 1978, Kerr's solo album, "Welcome to the Club", was released by A&M Records. Produced by Chris Bond (Hall & Oates), it was solid MOR pop with Kerr contributing both acoustic, grand and electric piano and co-writing the album's ten tunes with frequent collaborator Will Jennings, Gary Osborne, and John Bettis. Other albums by Kerr include "From Now Until", "Somewhere in the Night", and "Same".

His most important collaboration has been with the American lyricist, Will Jennings. They have written such popular songs as "Somewhere in the Night", which was a hit for Helen Reddy and later for Barry Manilow (1978); "I'll Never Love This Way Again" for Dionne Warwick and "In the Real World" for Roy Orbison. Indeed, the co-writers won a Grammy Award for "I'll Never Love This Way Again" in 1982.

His co-penned song (with Osborne) "The Last Place God Made", appeared on "World Falling Down", a 1992 album from Pete Cetera.

Noteworthy compositions

*"A Fool's Affair"- Millie Jackson
*"Blue Eyes" - Don Partridge
*"Don't Close Your Eyes Tonight" - John Denver
*"I Am What I Am" - Shirley Bassey
*"I'll Never Love This Way Again" - Cheryl Ladd, Tom Jones, and Dionne Warwick
*"I'm Dreaming" - Jennifer Warnes
*"In Another World" - Barry Manilow
*"In the Real World" - Roy Orbison
*"It's Still You" - Michael Ball
*"Looks Like We Made It" - Barry Manilow
*"Making the Best of a Bad Situation" - Millie Jackson
*"No Night So Long" - Dionne Warwick
*"No One Cries More" - Michael Ball
*"Shine On" - L.T.D.
*"Somewhere in the Night" - Helen Reddy and Barry Manilow
*"Stand Up to The Night" - Bonnie Riatt
*"The Last Place God Made" - Pete Cetera
*"This Is Your Captain Calling" - Colin Blunstone
*"You May Feel Me Crying" - Roy Orbison
*"Where Are They Now?" - Barry Manilow [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9ftxqu5ldse~T32 Allmusic.com - Songs] ]

Discography

*1976 - "Richard Kerr"
*1978 - "Welcome to the Club"

References

External links

* [http://www.answers.com/topic/richard-kerr?cat=entertainment Profile at Answers.com]
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