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Tim Rice

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Tim Rice · Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice, born in 1944, is an English lyricist. He was born at a country house near Amersham, briefly trained at a law firm in London and studied for a year at the Sorbonne. In 1966 he started at EMI Records, and in 1968 he became an assistant to the producer Norrie Paramor, where he worked with Cliff Richard and the Scaffold, among others. He then made his name in musical theatre, above all with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Together they wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. Joseph and Superstar were among the first hit musicals to draw their sound from the rock and pop of the 1960s.

Music and breakthrough

He also worked successfully with others. With Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA he wrote Chess, which includes the British number one I Know Him So Well. For Disney he wrote the songs for Aladdin with Alan Menken, for which A Whole New World won an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy in 1992, as well as the stage version of Beauty and the Beast. With Elton John he made The Lion King, with Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and Aida. For the film version of Evita he received a third Oscar in 1996, for You Must Love Me.

Influence

Rice is one of twenty-eight people who have won an Emmy, an Oscar, a Grammy and a Tony. He was knighted in 1994 and entered the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1999. He mainly writes lyrics, that is the story and the phrases, and leaves the melody to his composers. He is also known as a radio panellist and cricket enthusiast, and was a co-founder of the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to I Know Him So Well from Chess and notice how the two female singers carry the lyrics, in turn and together. Can you hear how the words tell a story of love and rivalry?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsDisney Renaissance