Music / Visual art
Allee Willis
1947–2019 · songwriter, artist, art director
Detroit-born songwriter of “September” and the Friends theme, who as a teenager stood outside Motown's studio to hear the music through the walls.
- Born
Detroit, Michigan- Died
Los Angeles, California
aged 72- Birth name
- Alta Sherral Willis
- Detroit years
- 1947–mid-1960s, 2010s
- Field
- Music, Visual art
01 / The Detroit story
The Detroit story
Allee Willis was born and raised in Detroit, the daughter of a scrapyard dealer, and attended Mumford High School on the city's northwest side. As a teenager she liked to hang around outside Motown's Hitsville studio on West Grand Boulevard, listening to the music coming through the walls, and that Detroit soul stayed at the heart of her songwriting. After studying journalism at the University of Wisconsin she worked in the record business and became one of the most successful songwriters of her era, co-writing Earth, Wind & Fire's “September” and “Boogie Wonderland”, the Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield's “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” and “I'll Be There for You”, the theme of Friends. She never forgot her hometown: in 2010 she launched fundraising events for Detroit featuring marching bands, and in 2017 she premiered “The D”, a song she wrote, recorded and produced for the city, at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Highlights
- Co-wrote Earth, Wind & Fire's “September” and “Boogie Wonderland”
- Co-wrote “I'll Be There for You”, the Friends theme (Emmy nomination)
- Grammy Awards for Beverly Hills Cop and The Color Purple
- Songs sold over 60 million records
- Songwriters Hall of Fame (2018)
02 / Their Detroit places
Their Detroit places 3
Where they lived, worked, performed and liked to hang out. Closed and demolished places stay here too, because they are part of the city's history.
Studied here · early 1960s
Mumford High School
Northwest Detroit high school she attended.
Favorite haunt · 1960s
Motown Museum
As a teenager she hung out outside the Motown studio to hear the music coming through the walls. Now the Motown Museum.
Related place · 2017
Detroit Institute of Arts (Friday Night Live!)
Where she premiered “The D”, her song for Detroit, on September 28, 2017.