Berklee Today: Tom Snow '69
Tom Snow '69
Photo by Chuck Place
Tom Snow figures he has penned somewhere around 1,000 songs for radio, film, and TV, and now, Broadway. Eight of his songs have earned BMI Million Airs awards, meaning they have been on the airwaves at least one million times. Since the 1970s, his tunes, sung by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, Barbra Streisand, Selena, Diana Ross, Deniece Williams, Michael Bolton, Dolly Parton, and many others, have topped the pop, r&b, adult contemporary, and country charts. Superstar pairings of Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville, Michael MacDonald and Chaka Khan, and Cher and Peter Cetera have also netted gold records and Grammy, Golden Globe, and Oscar nominations singing his music.
As impressive as the list of stars that sing his songs is the roster of writers with whom Snow has collaborated. He keeps company with the best songwriters and lyricists in the business, including Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, Glen Ballard, Gerry Goffin, Dean Pitchford, and Frannie Golde. Together, they have crafted blockbuster hits like "Don't Know Much," "He's So Shy," "After All," "If Ever You're In My Arms Again," "You Should Hear How She Talks about You," and "Don't Call It Love."