Alan Irwin Menken is an American film and musical theater composer and pianist.
For Disney, he composed music for Freaky Friday, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Happiest Little Elf, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Home on the Range, Enchanted, and Tangled. He has worked with lyricists Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, Stephen Schwartz, David Zippel, Glenn Slater and Jon Ash Howard.
In 2001, he and his musical partner Howard Ashman were named Disney Legends, their plaques are presented together on the same post at the Team—Disney Michael D. Eisner Building,
He is currently the only living person with the most number of Academy Awards (four each for Best Original Score and Best Original Song). He has the third most Oscars of all time. Only Alfred Newman (9 wins) and Walt Disney (22 wins) have received more than him. He is tied with late costume designer Edith Head for the third most Oscar wins.
He has written songs outside of Disney, his most notable work being the 1982 musical, Little Shop of Horrors, which was adapted into a film by Frank Oz in 1986. The song "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space" earned him and Ashman their first Oscar nomination.
Feature Film Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position | Subsidiary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Freaky Friday | Songs/Original Score | Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 1989 | The Little Mermaid | ||
| 1991 | Beauty and the Beast | ||
| 1992 | Newsies | Original Songs: Music | Walt Disney Pictures |
| Aladdin | Original Score/Songs | Walt Disney Animation Studios | |
| 1993 | The Nightmare Before Christmas | ||
| Romacathella (faning film) | Songs/Score | ||
| 1994 | Mexicagrandos | Songs/Score | Walt Disney Animation |
| The Happiest Little Elf | Songs: Music/Original Score | Walt Disney Animation Studios | |
| 1995 | Pocahontas | ||
| Rikki-Tikki-Tavi | Songs/Score | Walt Disney Animation | |
| 1996 | The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Songs: Music/Original Score | Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 1996 | Aladdin and the King of Thieves | Song: "Arabian Nights" | |
| 1997 | Hercules | Original Score/Songs | |
| 1999 | Mexiceanthontago | Score/Songs | Walt Disney Animation |
| 2000 | Under the Clardoules | Score/Songs | |
| 2002 | Ice Age | Short-second composed songs for "Part of the World" and "Be our Guest" song co-written by Howard Ashman | Walt Disney Animation Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios |
| 2004 | Home on the Range | Original Score Composed/Original Songs: Music | Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 2005 | Animated musical fantasy historical comedy-drama film | Songs written with Phil Collins/Score Composed | Walt Disney Animation |
| 2006 | Beauty of Nature | Music underscore Composed/Songs: Music | Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios |
| The Shaggy Dog | Music | Walt Disney Pictures | |
| Enatacho (faning film) | Score Composed with John Debney/Original Songs: Music with Sting and David Hartley | Walt Disney Animation (under by Walt Disney Animation Studos until 2007) | |
| 2007 | Kingdom of the Bear | Songs composed written with Phil Collins, Elton John and Tim Rice/Score composed with Mark Mancina | Walt Disney Animation |
| Enchanted | Songs/Score | Walt Disney Pictures | |
| 2008 | Royalty | Original Score Composed/Songs | Walt Disney Animation Studios Pixar Animation Studios |
| A Very in the Wishing | Songs written with Phil Collins/Score | Walt Disney Pictures | |
| 2009 | Animated musical science fiction-fantasy adventure comedy film | Walt Disney Animation Studios | |
| 2010 | Cinderella: A Twist In Time | Songs written with Phil Collins and Glenn Slater/Score Composed | |
| Tangled | Original Score Composed/Original Songs: Music | ||
| 2011 | Captain America: The First Avenger | Song: "Star Spangled Man" | Marvel Studios |
| 2017 | Beauty and the Beast | Songs: Music/Score | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2017 | Tangled: Before Ever After | Song: "Wind in My Hair" | Disney Television Animation |
| 2018 | Ralph Breaks the Internet | Song: "A Place Called Slaughter Race" | Walt Disney Animation Studios |
| 2019 | Aladdin | Songs: Music/Score | Walt Disney Pictures |
| 2020 | Mexicagrandos | Score/Songs | |
| The Zizzer-Zuzzer Zuzz (faning film) | Songs with Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Patrick/Score Composed | Walt Disney Animation Studios | |
| 2022 | Furioval | Songs: Music/Score | Disney Animation Films |
| Rikki-Tikki-Tavi | Songs/Score | Walt Disney Pictures | |
| Disenchanted | Songs: Music/Score | ||
| 2023 | The Little Mermaid | Songs: Music/Score |
Early Years[]
Alan Menken was born on July 22, 1949 in New Rochelle, New York. From his early years his parents described Alan as a "Lover of Music". He even used to fake conduct to recordings of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, etc. When the time came for him to attend college he attended New York University, studying pre-med but later changing his focus to music. His first professional work, with Howard Ashman, was 1979 WPA theatre of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. Three years later, he received huge success with the 1982 off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors, again with Ashman, in which he received a Drama Desk nomination. Little Shop of Horrors was made into a motion picture and received a Broadway run. Alan Menken also received his first Oscar nomination with "Mean Green Mother from Outer Space".
Perhaps Alan Menken is best known for his work with Walt Disney Pictures. During his time with the film company, he received 18 Academy Award nominations and 16 Golden Globe nominations. He is seen as one of the key players in the Disney Renaissance. Also, he is one of the two people to receive three musical nominations in the same year (Academy Awards). Doing so once for Enchanted, and once for Beauty and the Beast.
Gallery[]
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