A Few Words in Defense of Our Country: The Biography of Randy Newman—A Conversation with Music Journalist Robert Hilburn (ONLINE)

This is an **online** program. Join 53rd Street Library for an exclusive conversation on A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY, the definitive biography of songwriter Randy Newman, with acclaimed biographer and longtime Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn.

Randy Newman is widely hailed as one of America’s all-time greatest songwriters, equally skilled in the sophisticated melodies and lyrics of the Gershwin-Porter era and the cultural commentary of his own generation, with Bob Dylan and Paul Simon among his most ardent admirers.

While millions around the world can hum “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” his disarming centerpiece for Toy Story, most listeners would be astonished to learn that the heart of Newman’s legacy is in the dozens of brilliant songs that detail the injustices, from racism to class inequality, that have contributed to the division of our nation. Rolling Stone declared that a single Newman song, “Sail Away,” tells us more about America than “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

In addition to exploring Newman’s prolific career and the evolution of his songwriting, A FEW WORDS IN DEFENSE OF OUR COUNTRY also dives into his childhood and early influences, his musical family that ruled Hollywood movie scores for decades, the relationships that have provided inspiration for his songs, and so much more.

Join us as we discuss this overdue tribute to the legendary songwriter whose music has long reflected and challenged the America we know today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Robert Hilburn was the chief pop music critic and pop music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 through 2005. Since then, he has focused his attentions on writing biographies of some of the most celebrated musicians in modern history, including John Lennon, Johnny Cash, and Paul Simon. He lives in Los Angeles.