Randy Newman

Randy Newman was born in Los Angeles, California, USA as Randall Stuart Newman. A week after his birth, Randy's family moved to New Orleans, (his mother's hometown).

He is the nephew of noted Hollywood film-score composers Alfred Newman, Emil Newman and Lionel Newman.

Randy Newman was already writing songs from the time he was 16 but at first he didn't have a lot of self-confidence and he needed pushing. He told The Big Issue: "My friend Lenny Waronker was responsible for me starting songwriting. I would always play him things first. And even when I would fall out with a tune and say it was no good - and I would really mean it - he would tell me it was really good. He started me off, and for years he was my courage."