Randy Edelman


Randy Edelman is an American musician, producer, and composer and conductor for film and television. He began his career as a member of Broadway's pit orchestras; he later produced solo albums for songs that were picked up by leading music performers including The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, and Dionne Warwick. He is known for his work in comedy films. He has been awarded many prestigious awards along with two nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and twelve BMI Awards. Edelman was given an honorary doctorate in fine arts by the University of Cincinnati in 2004.
Some of Edelman's best known films scores include Twins, Ghostbusters II, Kindergarten Cop, 'Beethoven, The Distinguished Gentleman, Gettysburg, Angels in the Outfield, The Mask, Pontiac Moon, The Indian in the Cupboard, The Quest, Dragonheart, Daylight, and XXX. He also wrote the theme of the popular television series MacGyver. Many of his musical pieces have been reused in television advertising, trailers, Disney movies, and award shows.
WWW Official Site

Life and career

Edelman was born on 10 June 1947 in Paterson, New Jersey, to a Jewish family. He was raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of a first-grade teacher and an accountant, and graduated from Teaneck High School in 1965. He attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before heading to New York where he played piano in Broadway pit orchestras. He produced several solo albums of songs, some of which were later recorded by The Carpenters, Barry Manilow, "If Love Is Real" from Olivia Newton-John's Making a Good Thing Better, Dionne Warwick, Blood, Sweat & Tears and many others before moving to Los Angeles. Edelman started to work there in television and film scoring, while producing his solo albums which found a cult following in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Japan.

Musical scores

One of his first film scores was for the 1973 film Executive Action, which put forward a conspiracy theory concerning the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in 1963. In
1977 Edelman contributed the orchestral piece 'Grey' to the multi-composer suite Colours, put together and conducted by Vic Lewis. In the mid-1980s, Edelman wrote the theme to and scored many episodes of MacGyver, a popular television series starring Richard Dean Anderson.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, he also collaborated with Ivan Reitman, producing scores for several of his comedies, including Drop Dead Fred, Ghostbusters II, Pontiac Moon, Twins, and Kindergarten Cop. He also contributed to Beethoven; The Last of the Mohicans; The Distinguished Gentleman; The Mask; The Quest; Daylight; Anaconda; XXX; Gettysburg; My Cousin Vinny; While You Were Sleeping; Dragonheart; Shanghai Noon; Six Days, Seven Nights; The Indian in the Cupboard; Billy Madison; Angels in the Outfield; and EDtv to name a few.
Edelman was honored with the Richard Kirk Award at the 2003 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music. In 2004, he received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from the University of Cincinnati. He and three other honorees distinguished in other fields, including Coretta Scott King were given the degree.
He produced the scores for the 2008 film The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, where in 2010 Edelman also recorded and composed the Irish flavored music score for Amy Adams's film Leap Year. He was awarded the Goldspirit Award for best comedy score of 2011 for the Leap Year soundtrack CD on Varèse Sarabande.

Scores reused elsewhere

While some of the films scored by Edelman were not commercial successes, the music was often reused elsewhere. Themes he wrote for Kindergarten Cop, Dragonheart, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Gettysburg, and other films have been widely used in television advertising, film trailers, Disney movies including Mulan, and during the Academy Awards. Themes from his score for Come See the Paradise have been used in film trailers more than cues from any other film soundtrack.

NBC Sports

His music from The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. is featured during NBC's Olympic Games coverage when upcoming events are being announced. In addition it was used during NBC's coverage of the 1997 World Series. At the end of the 1996 Summer Olympics, NBC used the closing music of Gettysburg. In the 1990s, Edelman composed the popular theme music for NBC's NFL telecasts which was used for the 1995–97 seasons through Super Bowl XXXII.

Personal life

Edelman has been married to singer Jackie DeShannon since June 3, 1976. DeShannon is known for 1960s hits including "When You Walk in the Room", "Put a Little Love in Your Heart," and "What the World Needs Now Is Love". DeShannon had a brief first marriage that was annulled after a few months. She and Edelman have a son, Noah.

Musical discography (as artist and songwriter)

Solo albums

  • Randy Edelman – MGM Records, 1972
  • The Laughter and the Tears – MGM Records, 1972
  • Outside In - MGM Records, 1972
  • Prime Cuts – 20th Century Records, 1974
  • Farewell Fairbanks – 20th Century Records, 1975
  • If Love Is Real – Arista Records, 1977
  • You're the One – Arista Records, 1979
  • 'Up-Town Up-Tempo: The Best of Randy Edelman – 20th Century Records, 1979
  • On Time – Rocket Records, 1982
  • Randy Edelman and His Piano – PRT Records, 1984
  • Switch of the Seasons – PRT Records, 1985
  • Up-Town Up-Tempo Woman – Warwick Reflection Records, 1987
  • And His Piano... The Very Best of Randy Edelman – Revola/Cherry Red Records, 2003
  • The Pacific Flow to Abbey Road – Cherry Red / Varèse Sarabande, 2011

Charted solo singles

  • "Everybody Wants to Find a Bluebird" – US No. 92, US AC No. 18
  • "Concrete and Clay" – US AC No. 11, AUS No. 79, UK No. 11
  • "Uptown Uptempo Woman" – UK No. 25
  • "You" – UK No. 49
  • "Can't It All Be Love" – CAN No. 99
  • "Nobody Made Me" – UK No. 60

Artists who have covered Edelman's songs (both music and lyrics)


  • Barry Manilow – "Weekend in New England"
  • The Carpenters – "I Can't Make Music", "You", "Piano Picker"
  • Labelle – "Isn't it a Shame"
  • Olivia Newton-John – "If Love Is Real"
  • Nelly – "My Place"
  • Dionne Warwick – "You Are the Sunlight, I Am the Moon", "The Laughter and the Tears", "Give a Little Laughter"
  • Blood Sweat and Tears – "Blue Street"
  • Jackie DeShannon – "Sunny Days", "Let the Sailors Dance"
  • Agnetha Fältskog – "Turn the World Around"
  • The Fifth Dimension – "Everybody Wants to Call You Sweetheart"
  • Kool and the Gang – "Amore Amore"
  • Bing Crosby – "The Woman on Your Arm"
  • Shirley Bassey – "Isn't It a Shame"
  • Nancy Wilson – "The Laughter and the Tears"
  • Rosemary Clooney – "You"
  • Petula Clark – "Make a Time for Lovin'"

Awards, milestones and announcements

Platinum and gold Records
Barry Manilow Greatest Hits, Live,
This One's for You
Saturn Awards
International Film Music Critics Association Nomination
Best Original Score for Television for ABC's mini-series
Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts
  • University of Cincinnati: Recipient of Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts
Broadcast Music, Inc.
Emmy Awards
  • Winner: "Atlanta Olympics NBC Broadcast" Emmy Award
Golden Globes Award
  • Nominated: Last of the Mohicans
British Academy of Film and Television Awards NominationLast of the Mohicans: Nominated BAFTA Award for Best Film Music
Kautz Alumni Masters Awards
  • University of Cincinnati: Kautz Alumni Masters Award for Outstanding Alumnus
Goldspirit AwardsLeap Year (film): Named in honor of Jerry Goldsmith as Best Comedy Score
Long Island International Film Expo
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: In Film Scoring and Composition
  • 2018 Composer and Lyricist Guild
  • Lifetime Achievement Award L.A.

LA Film Awards

Love in Kilnery: Best Score, 2019

New England Music Hall of Fame

  • Lifetime Achievement Award, 2023

New York Get Out Magazine

  • Lifetime Achievement Award, 2023

NYR Metropolitan Club

  • Career Bridge Lifetime Achievement Award, 2024

Grand Ole Opry, Nashville

  • Josie Songwriter Legend Award, 2024

Broadway World Magazine

  • Best Producer for album Waltzing on a High Wire, 2025