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Charles Randolph Goodrum (born July 7, 1947) is an American songwriter, pianist, and producer. Goodrum has written number one songs in each of the four decades since his first number one hit, 1978's "
You Needed Me "You Needed Me" is a song written by Randy Goodrum, who describes it as being about "unconditional undeserved love". It was a number one hit single in the United States in 1978 for Canadian singer Anne Murray, for which she won a Grammy Award. ...
". Goodrum's songs have appeared on the country, pop, jazz, rock, R&B and adult contemporary charts. An accomplished pianist, his music has been used extensively in film and television.


Early life and education

Goodrum was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas to Winnie Goodrum and Bud Goodrum, a physician. He began to play the piano by ear as a small child, imitating his older brother. Goodrum started to take piano lessons at 8, initially studying classical music and later learning to play jazz. He attended Hot Springs High School, where he performed in a jazz trio, the
Three Kings The biblical Magi from Middle Persian ''moɣ''(''mard'') from Old Persian ''magu-'' 'Zoroastrian clergyman' ( or ; singular: ), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, also the Three Magi were distinguished foreigners in the G ...
. Also known as the Three Blind Mice for the dark glasses they wore, the trio included Goodrum's friend
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
on saxophone. He also performed in the area with touring artists. Because he could sight read—and because Arkansas was at a "geographical crossroads" which drew a wide variety of performing musicians—Goodrum played with blues, country, jazz, R&B and rock & roll artists. In a 2000 interview, he said: "Part of the reason I am so diverse is because of where I grew up. You had to be able to play it all, and do it authentically." Goodrum attended
Hendrix College Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled, mostly undergraduates. While affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the college offers a secular curriculum and has a stude ...
in
Conway, Arkansas Conway is a city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and the county seat of Faulkner County, located in the state's most populous Metropolitan Statistical Area, Central Arkansas. Although considered a suburb of Little Rock, Conway is unusual in that ...
. Although he had never written songs, a friend asked him to compose the songs for an original musical. Goodrum agreed and discovered a talent for songwriting. Inspired by
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
,
Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...
,
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including " Up, Up and Away", "By the Time I Get to Phoenix", "MacArthur Park", "Wichita Lineman", "Worst ...
and
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
, he began to focus on writing songs. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music in piano.


Career

Goodrum joined the US Army following his college graduation, where he played in the army band. During his off hours, he wrote songs and decided to pursue a career as a songwriter. Following his 1972 discharge from the army, Goodrum went to Los Angeles to meet with music publishers. Although he was unable to place any of the dozen songs he presented, he was encouraged to continue writing. He returned to Little Rock and planned to move to Los Angeles. Instead, at the suggestion of a friend, Bob Millsap, he moved to Nashville, where he could finance his songwriting endeavors as a pianist-for-hire for session work and live performances. Millsap signed Goodrum to his publishing company, Ironside, and would go on to pitch Goodrum's first major hit, "You Needed Me", with the persistence it required. "The word would come back that song didn't have a chorus, was too pop, didn't fit the Nashville mould, wasn't sing-a-long, that kind of thing," Millsap's co-writer Jerry Flowers said in 2003. Frustrated as he wrote the song, Goodrum had almost thrown "You Needed Me" away. It was recorded by Anne Murray for her 1978 album, ''
Let's Keep It That Way ''Let's Keep It That Way'' is the 12th studio album by Anne Murray, released in February 1978. On the Canadian charts the album topped both the country and pop album charts. In the U.S., the album returned Murray to the top ten on the country albu ...
'' and peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. It won Song of the Year at the
Academy of Country Music The Academy of Country Music (ACM) was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Among the founders were Eddie Miller, Tommy Wiggins, and Mickey and Chris Christensen. They wanted to promote country music ...
awards, earned Murray the
Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...
at the 21st Grammy Awards, and spent 36 weeks on the Adult Contemporary charts, setting a record for longevity which remained unbroken until 1995. During the same time period, Goodrum wrote five other hit songs: Murray's " Broken Hearted Me" (1979); Michael Johnson's "
Bluer Than Blue "Bluer Than Blue" is a 1978 song recorded by Michael Johnson (singer), Michael Johnson. The song was written by noted pop and country songwriter Randy Goodrum. Originally recorded as a demo, "Bluer Than Blue" was taken as the first single from Jo ...
" (1978);
England Dan & John Ford Coley England Dan & John Ford Coley were an American soft rock duo composed of Dan Seals, Danny Wayland "England Dan" Seals and John Ford Coley, John Edward "John Ford" Coley, active throughout the 1970s. Native Texas, Texans, they are best known for t ...
's "
It's Sad to Belong "It's Sad to Belong" is a song written by Randy Goodrum and performed by England Dan & John Ford Coley on their 1977 album, ''Dowdy Ferry Road''. Called a "timeless classic",Martinez-Belen, Crispina"MYMP's pre-Valentine show" ''mb.com.ph'', Februa ...
" (1977), and
Gene Cotton Gene Cotton (born June 30, 1944 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American pop and folk singer-songwriter. He is best known for his four ''Billboard'' top 40 entries during the years 1976–1978. In the UK, he is most famous for the song "Me and the E ...
's " Before My Heart Finds Out" (1978). As a pianist during his early years in Nashville, Goodrum played live and in the studio with artists including
Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
and
Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard (March 20, 1937 – September 1, 2008) was an American singer, guitarist, composer, and songwriter as well as an actor who appeared in more than a dozen films. His signature songs included " Guitar Man", " U.S. Male", "A Thi ...
. Most significantly, he performed with
Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music s ...
, who became both a collaborator and a mentor. With Atkins, Goodrum wrote, "To B or Not to B" and "Waltz for the Lonely", among other songs. Goodrum's composition "So Soft Your Goodbye" won a 1991 Grammy award for Chet Atkins and
Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...
. In 1979,
Dottie West Dorothy Marie Marsh West (October 11, 1932 – September 4, 1991) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Along with her friends and fellow recording artists Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, she is considered one of the genre's most in ...
released '' Special Delivery''. Goodrum co-produced the album with Brett Maher, and together they wrote 6 of the album's 10 songs. In early 1980, the Goodrum/Maher song " A Lesson in Leavin'" was released. Her first hit as a solo artist, it went to #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in April; in 1981, West had another #1 with Goodrum's "
What Are We Doin' In Love "What Are We Doin' in Love" is a song written by Randy Goodrum and recorded by American country music artist Dottie West. Although not credited on the single release, the song also features American country and pop recording artist Kenny Rogers. I ...
", a duet with Kenny Rogers. Over the next two years, Goodrum wrote songs which were performed by artists including Michael McDonald,
Kenny Rogers Kenneth Ray Rogers (August 21, 1938 – March 20, 2020) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013. Rogers was particularly popular with country audiences but also charted mo ...
,
Loretta Lynn Loretta Lynn (; April 14, 1932 – October 4, 2022) was an American country music singer and songwriter. In a career spanning six decades, Lynn released multiple gold albums. She had numerous hits such as " You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My M ...
,
Conway Twitty Harold Lloyd Jenkins (September 1, 1933 – June 5, 1993), better known by his stage name Conway Twitty, was an American singer and songwriter. Initially a part of the 1950s rockabilly scene, Twitty was best known as a country music performer. ...
and
Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...
, among others. In 1981, he won six ASCAP Awards. In 1982, Goodrum signed a worldwide publishing deal with New York-based CBS Songs. He moved briefly to nearby Westport, Connecticut, before relocating to Los Angeles. Although no longer in Nashville, he continued to work with country artists, writing a hit for Sylvia. His credits expanded to include best-selling records in genres including R&B (
Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. Music career Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...
,
El DeBarge Eldra Patrick "El" DeBarge (born June 4, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He was the focal point and primary lead singer of the family group DeBarge. Popular songs led by El DeBarge include "Time Will Reveal", "Who's Holding ...
), jazz (
George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, pla ...
,
Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...
) and rock ( Michael McDonald,
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, Toto). In 1984, Goodrum worked with
Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...
on his solo debut, '' Street Talk''. He partnered with Perry to write five songs for the album and wrote four additional songs in collaboration with others. "
Oh Sherrie "Oh Sherrie" is the debut solo single by American singer Steve Perry. Written by Perry, Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf and Bill Cuomo, the song was recorded and released on Perry's first solo album ''Street Talk'' in 1984, which he released while s ...
", written with Perry,
Craig Krampf Craig Krampf (born October 22, 1954) is an American drummer, percussionist, arranger, record producer and songwriter. The majority of his notable credits are as a studio drummer. Since the 1970s, he has played on albums by other artists ranging f ...
, and Bill Cuomo was #1 on the ''Billboard'' Rock Charts and the biggest hit of Perry's career as a solo artist. "
Now and Forever (You and Me) "Now and Forever (You and Me)" is a hit song written by David Foster, Randy Goodrum and Jim Vallance and recorded by Canadian country music artist Anne Murray. It was aided by a popular music video, filmed in Toronto. The back-up vocal was sung by ...
", co-written with
David Foster David Walter Foster (born November 1, 1949) is a Canadian musician, composer, arranger, record producer and music executive who chaired Verve Records from 2012 to 2016. He has won 16 Grammy Awards from 47 nominations. His music career spans mor ...
and
Jim Vallance James Douglas Vallance (born May 31, 1952) is a Canadian songwriter, arranger and producer. He is best known as the songwriting partner of Canadian musician Bryan Adams. Vallance began his professional career as the original drummer and main song ...
, was a major hit for Anne Murray in 1986, appearing on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for six weeks. In the mid-90s, he returned to Nashville, and later wrote hit songs for artists including
Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career start ...
and John Berry. In 1999,
Boyzone Boyzone were an Irish boy band, created in 1993 by talent manager Louis Walsh. Before even recording any material, Boyzone made an appearance on RTÉ's '' The Late Late Show''. Their most successful line-up was composed of Keith Duffy, Steph ...
had success with a cover version of "You Needed Me" and
Jo Dee Messina Jo Dee Marie Messina (born August 25, 1970) is an American country music artist. She has charted six number-one singles on the ''Billboard'' country music charts. She has been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country ...
's cover of "A Lesson in Leavin'" appeared on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 year-end charts. Goodrum wrote songs for each of the Clinton/Gore presidential campaigns, including "A Circle of Friends", which was the closing theme for the 1992 Democratic Convention and "Reunion," and performed the theme live on television for Clinton's first Inaugural Gala. "Together as One", written for Kenny Rogers and
Trisha Yearwood Patricia Lynn Yearwood (born September 19, 1964) is an American singer, actress, author and television personality. She rose to fame with her 1991 debut single " She's in Love with the Boy," which became a number one hit on the ''Billboard'' c ...
, was featured during the 1997 Clinton inauguration. Goodrum performed on the CBS television special which aired that night. His film and television credits include '' Prancer Returns'', '' Snowden on Ice'', ''
Back to School ''Back to School'' is a 1986 American comedy film starring Rodney Dangerfield, Keith Gordon, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Terry Farrell, William Zabka, Ned Beatty, Sam Kinison, Paxton Whitehead and Robert Downey Jr. It was directed by Alan Met ...
'' and '' Stir Crazy''. He co-wrote the theme for the long-running daytime drama ''
One Life to Live ''One Life to Live'' (often abbreviated as ''OLTL'') is an American soap opera broadcast on the ABC television network for more than 43 years, from July 15, 1968, to January 13, 2012, and then on the internet as a web series on Hulu and iTunes ...
'' with
Dave Grusin Robert David "Dave" Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record w ...
. Goodrum was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000. In addition to his work as a songwriter, session player, and producer, he has released six solo albums. He also performs together with
Jay Graydon Jay Joseph Graydon (born October 8, 1949, Burbank, California) is an American songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, keyboardist, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards (in the R&B category) wi ...
as JaR. They released their first album, ''Scene 29'', in 2008. Goodrum co-wrote "Most of All" for
Steve Perry Stephen Ray Perry (born January 22, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the rock band Journey during their most commercially successful periods from 1977 to 1987, and again from 1995 to 1998. He also wrote/co ...
's 2018 album ''
Traces Traces may refer to: Literature * ''Traces'' (book), a 1998 short-story collection by Stephen Baxter * ''Traces'' series, a series of novels by Malcolm Rose Music Albums * ''Traces'' (Classics IV album) or the title song (see below), 1969 * ''Tra ...
''.


Personal life

Goodrum and his wife Gail live in
Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville () is the second-largest city in Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County, and the biggest city in Northwest Arkansas. The city is on the outskirts of the Boston Mountains, deep within the Ozarks. Known as Washington until ...
. They met while students at Hendrix College, and have two daughters, Julia and Sarah.


Awards and nominations


Grammy Awards

Randy Goodrum has been nominated for one
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
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1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
, "
You Needed Me "You Needed Me" is a song written by Randy Goodrum, who describes it as being about "unconditional undeserved love". It was a number one hit single in the United States in 1978 for Canadian singer Anne Murray, for which she won a Grammy Award. ...
" , Song of the Year ,


Other awards and nominations

*Song of the Year, National Music Publishers Association ("You Needed Me") *Song of the Year, Nashville Songwriters Association ("You Needed Me") *Song of the Year, Academy of Country Music ("You Needed Me") *
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is u ...
*American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) Country Songwriter of the Year *American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Country Song of the Year (Anne Murray, "Now and Forever (You and Me)") *Odyssey Medal, Hendrix College, 2011 *Arkansan of the Year from the Arkansas Broadcasters Association *President's Choice Award, Nashville Songwriter's Association International *Cable Ace Award Song of the Year nominee ("Roundhouse")


Selected credits (as songwriter)


Discography (as primary artist)

Singles : *1978 ''This Feeling Inside'' - (b-side) : ''Only Everything'' Arista *1979 ''Blue River Of Tears (mono)'' - (b-side) : ''Blue River Of Tears (stereo)'' Arista *1980 ''Love'' - (b-side) : ''Love'' Posse Records LPs : *1982 ''Fool's Paradise,'' Polydor (Japan) *1985 ''Solitary Nights,'' GRP *1991 ''Caretaker of Dreams,'' Polydor (Japan) *1992 ''An Exhibition,'' Polydor (Japan) *1994 ''Words & Music,'' Polydor (Japan) *2008 ''Scene 29'' (with Jay Graydon, as JaR), Pony Records *2018 ''Brave New World'' (with Dave Innis & Bruce Gaitsch, as GIG), Contante & Sonante *2020 ''Red Eye,'' Randy Goodrum, Inc dba Clark Street Records Compilations : *1995 ''Songbook,'' Beverly Records (Germany)


References


External links

*
Randy Goodrum Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2018) {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodrum, Randy 1947 births Living people Musicians from Hot Springs, Arkansas American country songwriters American male songwriters Hendrix College alumni Songwriters from Arkansas