- Born
- Birth nameAlan Irwin Menken
- Height5′ 6″ (1.68 m)
- Alan Menken is an American composer, songwriter, music conductor, director and record producer.
Menken is best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and Pocahontas (1995) have each won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores and songs for Little Shop of Horrors (1987), Newsies (1992), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Home on the Range (2004), Enchanted (2007), Tangled (2010), among others.
He is also known for his work in musical theatre for Broadway and elsewhere. Some of these are based on his Disney films, but other stage hits include Little Shop of Horrors (1982), A Christmas Carol (1994) and Sister Act (2009).
Menken has collaborated with such lyricists as Lynn Ahrens, Howard Ashman, Jack Feldman, Tim Rice, Glenn Slater, Stephen Schwartz and David Zippel. With eight Academy Award wins, Menken is the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman, who has 9 Oscars. He has also won 11 Grammy Awards, a Tony Award, Emmy Award, 7 Golden Globe Awards and many other honors.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tango Papa
- SpouseJanis Menken(November 1, 1972 - present) (2 children)
- ParentsNorman MenkenJudith Menken
- Composes music for Disney films
- Incredible versatility, he is able to make every score unique and compose in practically any genre with his songs.
- Reprises
- Considers his score for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) to be his best work.
- Has won more Academy awards then any other living composer in Oscar history (Alfred Newman received nine but passed away in 1970). He has won the following eight: Best Original Score for The Little Mermaid (1989), Best Song for The Little Mermaid (1989) ("Under The Sea"), Best Original Score for Beauty and the Beast (1991), Best Original Song for Beauty and the Beast (1991) ("Beauty and the Beast"), Best Original Score for Aladdin (1992), Best Original Song for Aladdin (1992)("A Whole New World"), Best Musical or Comedy Score for Pocahontas (1995) and Best Original Song for Pocahontas (1995) ("Colors of the Wind"). He has also received eleven other nominations. He is the only person to win two Academy Awards for the same film four times.
- Now tied with famed costume designer Edith Head for third most Academy Awards won, with eight. He has won best score and best song for four Disney animated movies: The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992) and Pocahontas (1995).
- Plays piano, violin, guitar and accordian.
- In 1972, married Janis Roswick, a ballet dancer. The couple have two daughters, Anna Menken and Nora Menken also Artists.
- I count James Horner among the very best film composers of our generation. His work is stirring, emotionally powerful and broadly evocative. Although we only met on a few occasions, I will always cherish the memory of him and his wonderful work.
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