Editing Randy Newman (section)

===Songwriter===
Newman has been a professional songwriter since he was 17. He cites [[Ray Charles]] as his greatest influence growing up, stating, "I loved Charles' music to excess."<ref>{{cite news |author=All Songs Considered |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93183763 |title=Guest DJ Randy Newman |work=[[NPR]] |date=August 4, 2008 |access-date=September 19, 2011 |archive-date=August 4, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804210925/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93183763 |url-status=live }}</ref> His first single as a performer was 1962's "Golden Gridiron Boy", released when he was 18.<ref>{{cite book|author=|title=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CBgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT4|access-date=July 13, 2012|date=November 3, 1962|pages=4–|issn=0006-2510}}</ref> The single flopped and Newman chose to concentrate on songwriting and arranging for the next several years.

An early writing credit was "They Tell Me It's Summer", used as the b-side of [[the Fleetwoods]] 1962 single, "Lovers by Night, Strangers by Day", which led to further commissions from the Fleetwoods and also [[Pat Boone]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBo8RQLpwtUC&pg=PA47|page=47|title=Randy Newman's American Dreams|author=[[Kevin Courrier]]|publisher=ECW Press|date=2005|isbn=9781550226904|access-date=September 26, 2020|archive-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610230028/https://books.google.com/books?id=KBo8RQLpwtUC&pg=PA47|url-status=live}}</ref> Other early songs were recorded by [[Gene Pitney]], [[Jerry Butler]], [[Petula Clark]], [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Jackie DeShannon]], [[the O'Jays]], and [[Irma Thomas]], among others. His work as a songwriter met with particular success in the UK: top 40 UK hits written by Newman included [[Cilla Black]]'s "I've Been Wrong Before" (No. 17, 1965), Gene Pitney's "Nobody Needs Your Love" (No. 2, 1966) and "[[Just One Smile]]" (No. 8, 1966); and [[the Alan Price Set]]'s "[[Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear]]" (No. 4, 1967). Price, an English keyboardist who was enjoying great success at the time, championed Newman by featuring seven Randy Newman songs on his 1967 ''A Price on His Head'' album.

In the mid-1960s, Newman kept a close musical relationship with the band [[Harpers Bizarre]], best known for their 1967 hit version of the [[Paul Simon]] composition "[[The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)]]". The band recorded six Newman compositions, including "Simon Smith" and "Happyland," during their short initial career (1967–1969).

In this period, Newman began a long professional association with childhood friend [[Lenny Waronker]]. Waronker had been hired to produce the Tikis, [[the Beau Brummels]] and [[the Mojo Men]], who were all contracted to the Los Angeles independent label [[Autumn Records]]. He in turn brought in Newman, [[Leon Russell]] and another friend, pianist/arranger [[Van Dyke Parks]], to play on recording sessions. Later in 1966, Waronker was hired as an A&R manager by [[Warner Bros. Records]] and his friendship with Newman, Russell and Parks began a creative circle around Waronker at Warner Bros. that became one of the keys to Warner Bros.' subsequent success as a rock music label.<ref>Fred Goodman, ''The Mansion on the Hill: Dylan, Young, Geffen, Springsteen and the Head-on Collision of Rock and Commerce'' ([[Random House]], 1997), p.65</ref>

In the 1970s, Newman co-wrote with [[Jake Holmes]] the "Most Original Soft Drink Ever" jingle for [[Dr Pepper]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/sheetMusicBooks/jingleFolioBooks.html |title=Advertising Jingle Music Folio Books |website=Classicthemes.com |date=April 24, 2003 |access-date=February 26, 2020 |archive-date=June 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610084438/http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/sheetMusicBooks/jingleFolioBooks.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2011, Newman endorsed jazz singer [[Roseanna Vitro]]'s album, ''The Randy Newman Project'' ([[Motéma Music]], 2011).<ref>{{cite web |author=All About Jazz |author-link=All About Jazz |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40042&page=1 |title=Roseanna Vitro: Following Her Muse |website=Allaboutjazz.com |date=August 2011 |access-date=September 19, 2011 |archive-date=October 23, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023053258/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40042&page=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, Newman wrote a song called “Stay Away” to support people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The song can be downloaded and proceeds go to the Ellis Marsalis Center to support underserved children in New Orleans’ 9th Ward.<ref>{{cite web|title = Stay Away|website = YouTube| date=April 8, 2020 |url = https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Hk2L2G_W0&feature=youtu.be|access-date = April 19, 2020|archive-date = July 4, 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230704164407/https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=a6Hk2L2G_W0&feature=youtu.be|url-status = live}}</ref>

Newman's song compositions are represented by [[Downtown Music Publishing]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Trakin|first=Roy|title = Randy Newman Inks Deal With Downtown Music Publishing|url = https://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/publishing/6177395/randy-newman-inks-deal-with-downtown-music-publishing|magazine = Billboard|access-date = November 25, 2015}}</ref>