Recording - January 2012 - 51

JANUARY 2012 TAXI Road Rally 2011

Charles Fox, Keynote Interview
Moderated by Michael Laskow
Shut your eyes and try to imagine what it would feel like to know that 300 million people hear your music every week—300 million people. That’s every man, woman and child in the United States, to give you some perspective. Charles Fox knows what that feels like. You can open your eyes now, by the way. [laughter] Imagine what it would feel like to have an incredible 50-year career during which people from all over the world hear your music in hit TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters, renown ballets, concerts performed by some of the world’s most acclaimed symphony orchestras and having your songs on several smash hit records. Charles Fox knows what that feels like too. He also knows what it feels like to literally go hungry because of his insatiable appetite to learn more about the craft of making great music. That hunger, combined with his never-ending pursuit of excellence, has earned him two Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, multiple Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, a New York Film Critics Award, a BMI Award for Outstanding Life Achievement, his music has a place in a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian, and he’s been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Charles has collaborated with dozens of the greatest lyricists and artists of our time, and most of all, I think it’s safe to say that he knows better than any of us that creativity plus unrelenting perseverance do in fact equal success. And the best part is anybody that knows Charlie will tell you that he has remained incredibly humble and grateful throughout everything. Let’s have a listen to a tiny little fraction of his work. [music] Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to present TAXI’s Living Legend Award to Mr. Charles Fox. [lengthy applause] Charles: Wow, thank you for that. That’s a fantastic introduction and a wonderful greeting. Thank you for making me feel so welcome here. I’m really delighted to be here and see such an enthusiastic group of musicians and performers and songwriters and composers…and to be here with Michael. Isn’t he fantastic? [cheers and applause] You’ve lived the kind of TAXI's Living Legend Honoree Charles Fox (left) and Michael Laskow on stage during the Road life that every person Rally 2011 presentation. in this room would Music. He’s going to stick around afterwards and hope to have. head out to the lobby and do book signings. But I’ll tell you a cute story about that. Many, many that’s not the reason I asked him here. I asked him years ago… We’ve been living in California since here because of his incredible career. I figured he’d 1970, when we came out because I was involved have a lot to share. in film and television. But before that—before we get into any of your questions—when I was I talked to him on the phone yesterday morning, getting started and I was working in the baseand I told him that his book brought me to tears at ment of our home in New York, I was at the least three times. You wouldn’t think that a mempiano one day and a workman came down to oir would necessarily bring you to tears, but from a look at something—maybe a water heater or musician’s perspective it’s so inspiring, and it gives something—and he must have seen me at the you so much insight into the psyche of the people piano playing or working, and when he finished in the industry and the way the wheels turn. So it he came upstairs and he said to my wife, “Is that really covered all the bases. I can’t tell you what a what your husband does for a living, he sits at great job you did. the piano?” And she said, “It is.” And he said, Thank you very much. What I must say is what “Wow, that’s a lucky guy.” And she said, “You we all share: we all share a love of music. We might not think so if you realized he’s been sitshare a love of sitting down and… Oftentimes, ting there for two days and hasn’t slept yet.” we’re alone doing what we do, because that’s the [laughter] nature of what we do, or sometimes we’re in a room with another songwriter. But, I mean, it’s a That’s a great story. I’ve got to tell you guys, I honvery internal kind of work and we all have our estly didn’t know that Charlie had written this own process. And the other thing we all share, I book, which is called Killing Me Softly: My Life in Continued on page 52
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Recording - January 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - January 2012