BMI Remembers Songwriter Richard Addrisi
BMI is greatly saddened to learn of the passing of songwriter Richard Addrisi, who died Tuesday at his home in Miami at the age of 84.
Most renowned for his prolific work with his older brother Don, Richard first came to prominence in the 1960s. Following their early hit as teenagers, “Cherrystone” in 1959, the Addrisi Brothers were pursuing a promising career as recording artists when they came into contact with a burgeoning band called The Association, for whom they would end up writing a song called “Never My Love.” The Association’s recording of this track would make it to No.9 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart in October of 1967. Ten years later, a version recorded by Richard and Don would also climb the charts.
Since its initial recording, Richard Addrisi’s signature song, “Never My Love” has gone on to be covered by a wide array of revered artists including Nina Simone, Etta James, Barry Manilow, Norah Jones and Jacob Dylan, Bryan Adams, Belinda Carlisle, Rita Wilson, Donny Hathaway, Nancy Wilson, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, Vicki Carr, Petula Clark, Engelbert Humperdink, Henry Mancini, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and many, many others.
Richard’s career would continue to ascend in the wake of “Never My Love,” leading to further hit singles with his brother like “We’ve Got to Get It On Again” in 1972 and “Slow Dancin’ Don’t Turn Me On” in 1977. They also continued writing for others, resulting in another hit in 1968 for The Association called “Time For Living,” the theme for the television show Nanny and the Professor and “I Believe You” for Dorothy Moore in 1977, later also revisited by Karen Carpenter.
The Addrisi Brothers continued to write and record together until Don’s tragic death from cancer in 1984. Over the course of his career, Richard won an Emmy Award, a Television Academy Honors Award and the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, among many other prestigious accolades. In 1999, “Never My Love” was recognized as the second most-played song in history, with performances of more than seven million. It achieved second place in the Top 100 Songs of the Century, listing the most-played songs on American radio and television, right behind “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. At the 2011 BMI Pop Awards, Richard was given a special certification for “Never My Love,” it then having reached an extraordinary 10 million plays.
Richard Addrisi will be greatly missed by his friends, fans and family at BMI.
(L-R): BMI’s Del Bryant, Richard Addrisi and BMI’s Barbara Cane.
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