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Continued from page 52 one thing I always remember the best of all was that someone predicted that “Killing Me Softly” would be bigger than swimming pools in California. [laughter] Anyway, that was my first experience. Oh, we’ve only got five minutes left, and I do want to have you go play something. But I want the crowd to know that a lot of the book at some point talks about you giving back. You took over Jerry Goldsmith’s class when he got sick, and how much you’ve enjoyed teaching at UCLA. And you and your wife, Joan, have done many, many extraordinary things on the philanthropic front, and I find that to be a common theme among our honorees. Congratulations for not just taking, and always giving back. That’s pretty amazing. [applause] I think that’s a very important part of it. I have to tell you, I never paid Nadia Boulanger for a lesson. She knew I couldn’t afford it, and I

and thankfully, I’m in a position that I can help. But that’s where it comes from. It comes from that base of Nadia Boulanger saying to me, “Maybe one day you’ll do something for someone else.” I’d like to present you with this check made out to the Fulfillment Fund in her honor. Thank you. [applause] Let me tell you what this check will do. This check will help a lot of students get through their years in high school. The Fulfillment Fund goes into the areas of the hardest hit in Los Angeles and other areas where, believe it or not, there’s about a 45% percent graduation rate from high school. Imagine that. But the mentors go in and help about 2,000 students a year, and their graduation rate is about 85%, and of those, 90% go on to a successful col-

lege career. And then they come back around and they help others. It’s a wonderful cycle. I thank you very much for this, because a lot of people are going to get a lot of good use out of this. Our pleasure. I get inspired by folks like you that take your success and turn it into other people’s success. It just doesn’t get any better than that. Would you please play something for us? Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Charles Fox. [He plays and sings “Killing Me Softly With His Song.”] Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Charles Fox! Thank you, Charles. [applause]

“We all get moved by songs; we all remember music and how it hits us at different ages.” —Charles Fox
saw her at least three or four times every week—once for a private lesson, one for composition and a keyboard harmony class that was very grueling. There were five of us in the class with two pianos—four hours in the morning once a week. I also went to her house for dinner. She invited me to concerts. She knew I couldn’t afford it. I would say sometimes, “Mademoiselle, I wish I had the money to pay you something.” She’d say, “No, I’m not interested in that. I’m more concerned that you have enough to eat. One day, if you have a chance, you can do something for someone else.” So that’s a legacy… [much applause] You really don’t forget that. And what you’re referring to that is my wife and I put on concerts benefiting the Fulfillment Fund, which we are a part of. It helps about 2,000 students a year. It mentors them, puts them through high school, colleges and scholarships. And I simply put on concerts for them to raise money. I invite my friends, you know, the great songwriters that you all know like Hal David, Alan Bergman, Kenny Loggins, Carole Bayer Sager, and Neil Sedaka. People all come down and generously give their time, and we put on very entertaining concerts at the Wadsworth Theatre, which has 1,400 seats. And I actually do that in New York for my high school, La Guardia High, too. So that’s something that makes me feel good to do that,
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Recording - March 2012

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