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Al Kasha has reached the top of every field that he has lent his talents to: as a writer, producer, composer, motivational speaker and executive working in theatre, film, television, home video, music publishing, and recording.
Kasha is one of those rare artists who, as a composer/lyricist, has had hit records over the last five decades, starting in the sixties and continuing on to the seventies, eighties, nineties and into the present, ranging from Elvis Presley to Aretha Franklin to Helen Reddy to Sherrie Austin to Donna Summer.
He has been awarded two Oscars and had two other Academy Award nominations for his critically acclaimed work in films. His first Academy Award for Best Song was for "The Morning After" from The Poseidon Adventure, and his second for "We May Never Love Like This Again" from The Towering Inferno. Two additional nominations came from the Live-Action Animated Walt Disney classic Pete's Dragon, which is now a platinum best selling home video.
He also received Tony nominations for his work on "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers" and the musical, "David Copperfield." In addition, he has received two Grammy nominations, four Golden Globe nominations and the coveted People's Choice award.
Al was born in Brooklyn, New York. He lived over the store where his mother and father had a little barber shop and beauty parlor. His father was a violent alcoholic who was abusive and his mother, engulfed by paranoia, contributed to a challenging family life. Though Al had many struggles growing up, he lived across the street from the Warner Brothers-Vitagraph Studios, where he and his brother played extras in various movie trailers of the time. Then a man at the studio heard him sing, and his show biz career was born. At sixteen he began to write songs and after a few years, his songs were recorded by the likes of Jackie Wilson, Elvis and Bobby Darin. He then followed his passion to become a record producer at the age of twenty-two. From there he went on to head A&R at CBS Records' music publishing company. He was responsible for the signing of: Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Andy Williams, The Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin.
Kasha then discovered Rodney Dangerfield in 1966 in the Catskill Mountains of New York, and financed, produced and recorded Rodney's first album at the Upstairs Downstairs club in Greenwich Village, called "The Loser," and was the first person to give the struggling, unknown comedian the idea for the image of "no respect." The album was released on Decca/Uni Records. Though he enjoyed a fruitful career in New York during the musical heyday of the 60s, in 1968, he moved to Hollywood to pursue a musical career in the motion picture business.
With over thirty motion picture scores to his credit, some of his best loved work has stemmed from his scoring contributions to films such as the animated classic "All Dogs Go To Heaven," the live action adventure "Giant Of Thunder Mountain," "China Cry" (which won the coveted Angel Award) and "Rudolph, The red Nosed Reindeer," an Animated Movie Musical, starring John Goodman and Whoopi Goldberg. He also produced the film Take This Job And Shove It, inspired by the hit song of the same name.
In the television arena: Kellogg's TV Animated Musical special - "A Toucan Can," starring Donna Summer and Jason Alexander; NBC-TV 2-hour Prime Time Animated Musical Special of Charles Dickens' classic "David Copperfield" starring Julian Lennon, Sheena Easton, Howie Mandel, Michael York, and Andrea Martin. This special, co-produced by Mr. Kasha, also aired in Canada and France; and ABC-TV "The Kingdom Chums," a Prime Time Animated Musical Special featuring Tony Orlando, Billy Preston, Debby Boone, Frankie Valli, and Marilyn McCoo. Other Prime Time Animated Musical Specials include ABC's "Precious Moments," CBS/Marvel/McDonalds "The Magic Paintbrush" and The Family Channel's "The Little Tree."
Even though the world gifted him with Oscars and other tokens of recognition for his work, his life was based on the bondage of achievement. He never felt the peace which he had once assumed would accompany that kind of acclaim. This workaholism and striving resulted in depression and illness, which manifested itself in a disease called agoraphobia, a paralyzing fear of being in open, public places. At the height of his success, he had won two Academy Awards and received many other awards, but the burden of balancing work and personal life became completely overwhelming.
During this time, Al discovered his faith the in church and became a born-again believer. Since then, his life changed greatly, to the point where he can comfortably travel and speak to groups about agoraphobia and the deliverance of fears as well as about being a Christian living in Hollywood. In January 1984, he was ordained a minister. That same year, the weekly Hollywood Bible studies that he had originated became so big that he and his wife started a church, the Oasis Christian Fellowship. Now the Hollywood Bible Study has grown, through the inspirational ministry of Tim Storey, to reach over a thousand people monthly. He continues to speak at Churches, universities and executive ministries around the world and teach songwriting around the country. Amongst many other universities and organizations, Kasha has spoken at Yale, UCLA, University of Southern California, University of Colorado, University of San Francisco, Pacific Azusa, Pepperdine, Fuller, Regent University, Oral Roberts University, Kings College and Seminary, ASCAP Workshop, Songwriters Guild, and the National Academy of Songwriters, etc and serves on the board of Regent University in Virginia Beach.
Kasha is working on a number of stage and film projects including the musical, "Rejoice," with composer/record producer David Foster, a 14 time Grammy winner, and the Broadway bound musical "Ordinary Girl" based on the life of Donna Summer. He is also writing a film based on his time with the legend Jackie Wilson, entitled, "My Empty Arms." He still enjoys writing music, and recording with artists such as All 4 One, Sheena Easton, Juilian Lennon, and Donna Summer. The more recent contemporary artists to record his work are Eden's Crush of WB's Popstars and MTV's 2-Gether, as well as Sherrie Austin, who received the number one country/Christian record of 2004 with Al's hit "Streets of Heaven," as well as Donna Summer's whose hit with Al, "I'm A Fire," which climbed to number one on the Billboard Dance Charts. As two-time Tony Nominees, Al Kasha is now enjoying the triumphant run of his musical, "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers," which is tours nationally and internationally in the United Kingdom.
They wrote the international standard, "The Old Fashioned Way," with Charles Aznavour, one of the many successful songs they collaborated on with Aznavour. This material will be featured in "The Life Of Charles Aznavour," slated for the West End and produced by Mike Merrick.
Kasha received the 2004 ASCAP Country Award for his top hit, "Streets of Heaven" recorded by Sherrie Austin.
